


Sweet Tooth

by im_always_down_to_hide_with_you



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling, F/F, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, Kisses, Mutual Pining, and daphne's a big softie you can't tell me otherwise, did i mention that i love them, listen up i love these weirdos and they are not receiving the attention they deserve, lots and lots of gay pining with a sprinkling of hot sex, rose is such a disaster gay i'm love her, this is my first fic so pls be kind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-06-27 23:31:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15695595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_always_down_to_hide_with_you/pseuds/im_always_down_to_hide_with_you
Summary: Daphne's practically a goddess of flirtation, but she can't understand why Rose doesn't seem to be getting her not-so-subtle hints. She'd have thought inviting her round to her house and dressing up nicely would be enough, but apparently it's going to take a little more than that...





	1. Sweet tooth

Daphne glanced back through the door to her living room as she walked towards the kitchen to make some coffee. Rose was sitting with her feet curled up beneath her in the big arm chair, stifling yawns as she stitched the hem of the dress methodically. It was getting late, and Daphne hadn't expected her to actually stay so long when she'd suggested that they could work on the dress at her house. Well, if she was honest with herself, perhaps the term 'suggested' wasn't entirely accurate. She was, after all, an expert in getting things her way. And it was even easier than she'd expected, because Rose seemed even more determined to fulfill Daphne's every whim than everybody else. Well, in some respects, at least. So when Daphne said she wanted this fitting at her house, that's what she got.  
She poured the coffee into two large mugs and put them on a tray. She picked it up, and then put it down again, grabbing a bowl of sugar and a spoon. She had a feeling that Rose probably took sugar in her coffee. Personally, she'd never really understood the way some people just obsessed over all things sweet. But Rose, well, she seemed like the sweet tooth type. She smiled to herself. Picking the tray up a second time, she sauntered back through to the living room.  
Daphne placed the tray down very gently on the coffee table, but even so, the noise made Rose jump as she looked up from her sewing.  
'Sorry,' Daphne said with a giggle, as she was met yet again with the expression of surprised bewilderment that Rose seemed to wear so often. It was endearing, in its own strange way. Just like Rose herself, she thought.  
'It's not a problem dear,' Rose said vacantly, 'I guess I was a little lost in thought.'  
She put her sewing aside for the first time in hours, pushing her glasses onto her head only to find another pair already there. Frowning to herself, she took them off and put them on the arm of the chair before reaching to take the mug Daphne was holding out to her.  
'What were you thinking about?' asked Daphne, who made sure her fingers 'accidentally' brushed against Rose's as she handed over the mug.  
Blushing, Rose looked down and said 'Oh, you know, just...' and then trailed off.  
Daphne liked to see Rose blushing. It suited her somehow. And she especially enjoyed it when she was the one causing Rose to blush.  
'I'm not sure that I do know,' she said, adding in her most sultry voice 'but I sure am curious.'  
Rose looked up at Daphne, more than a little bit pink, her mouth slightly open like she suddenly didn't know quite what to do with it. Daphne gave her a dazzling smile and a wink, and Rose continued to look at her like a deer caught in the headlights.  
'...Right.' said Rose. Daphne had noted how this was her go-to word for when she had no idea what else to say.  
Rose cleared her throat and blinked a few times. 'Could I have some of that sugar dear?' she asked in a slightly wobbly voice, finally managing to tear her eyes away from Daphne and gesturing towards the tray.  
'Any time,' Daphne said with another flirty smile, passing her the bowl. Rose blushed again but took the sugar bowl, grateful for the excuse to look at anything but Daphne. She muttered a heavily accented thankyou as she began to spoon heaps of sugar into her drink.  
That was another of her strange mannerisms, her accent became much stronger when she was flustered. Daphne didn't mean to make her feel flustered per se, although admittedly it gave her a strange satisfaction. No, she just wondered when this strange and beautiful woman would catch on to the fact that Daphne was flirting hard with her.  
She settled herself on the sofa opposite Rose and watched as the spoonfuls of sugar kept going in. Three... four... five. Five spoonfuls of sugar. Then the spoon was dipped into the drink and stirred around and around by slightly shaky hands.  
Rose kept staring at her drink as if it was the most fascinating thing in the room. It wasn't, thought Daphne. She herself was being exquisitely fascinating, even if she did say so herself. And besides, it was only instant coffee. Why wasn't Rose falling over herself trying to get Daphne's attention like everybody else? Well, okay, Rose did regularly fall over herself, but that was just Rose. It was the same story the first time they met. Daphne had been utterly charming (and worn her favourite dress especially to make a good impression), only to find Rose staring out of the window instead - watching bubbles float by, if she remembered correctly. She must remember to ask about the bubbles. There was definitely something a little odd about that, and about the way Rose was always checking her phone as if it held unspeakable secrets that nobody else must know about. But now was not the time for that.  
'Sweet tooth, huh?' asked Daphne, who didn't fail to notice the way Roses eyes flickered and followed the movement of her bare legs as she lifted them onto the sofa. It was not accidental that they were on show this evening. She'd picked out a silky dress, one which flattered her shape without making it too obvious that an effort was being made. Deciding to make the best of Rose's attention, she took the opportunity to stretch her body, tensing her calves and then extending her arms out above her, leaning her head back to reveal a vast expanse of neck as she did so. She opened her eyes to catch Rose staring with something that looked almost like hunger, and she inwardly celebrated this little victory.  
Rose blushed for the fiftieth time that evening and shook her head as if in attempt to free herself of what she'd just witnessed.  
'Indeed,' she said quietly, looking at the sugar spoon still in her hand. 'And here I was thinking I was showing a fair amount of restraint.'  
Daphne let out an honest laugh and wondered whether the double meaning of the statement was intended.  
'Well, if you'd like more, don't stop on my behalf,' said Daphne.  
After a moment, Rose shrugged and proceeded to spoon another three sugars into the mug. Daphne was slightly disappointed that she hadn't treated herself to another long look at her body, as the double entendre had implied. But then, she hadn't really expected it. She wasn't even sure if Rose realised the implication of her words. Could she really be that clueless?  
Her disappointment soon dissolved, however, as she watched Rose looking contemplatively at the spoon she held, then shrug again, and put it in her mouth. Then, as if she's suddenly remembered her company, she looked up, blushing yet again with the spoon still between her rouged lips. This time, though, she wasn't the only one blushing. Daphne laughed and Rose removed the lipstick stained spoon, placing it gently on the tray. She wrapped both her hands around the large mug of very sweet coffee and took a large gulp. 'Mmmm,' she hummed quietly, and went back to very effectively avoiding eye contact with Daphne.  
Daphne wondered what had come over her. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Her love life had become a game, flirting just because she could, having men and women falling at her feet every time she so much as fluttered her eyelashes. She'd stopped getting invested in people because she was tired of things not working out, tired of being hurt. But now here she was getting excited over the slightest bit of attention from this strange, almost mouse-like woman who didn't seem to be familiar with the core concept of flirting. It was something to do with those big, slightly haunted eyes, and the victory of every small smile that Daphne managed to elicit. And that accent. She was very fond of the accent. A sigh escaped her as she thought. It wasn't one of her sultry, breathy sighs that she often did when Rose was nearby, but a real sigh which carried the weight of a deep loneliness she didn't like to admit to.  
Dammit, Daphne, she thought to herself. Don't break character. Are you an irresistible goddess or aren't you?  
But when she looked up she saw Rose regarding her with genuine concern in her expression.  
'Are you alright, my dear?' she asked softly.  
'Yes, yes. Sorry. I was just lost in thought, I suppose,' Daphne replied, mirroring what Rose had said before. She was touched by her concern. Most people were only interested in her as long as she maintained her facade of being happy and witty and charming. And so she had learned to keep this mask on, and let everybody, herself included, believe it was genuine. It dawned on her how unfair this was, and though she tried to fight them back, she felt her eyes prickling with tears. This is not how this evening was meant to go.  
'What is it, darling?' Rose asked, growing more concerned when Daphne didn't manage a response. Daphne had a response to everything.  
Rose stood up and walked over to her, and after sitting beside her on the sofa, tentatively wrapped her arms around her. Daphne leaned into the embrace and let her head come to rest on her chest. Rose tightened her grip and held her close. Daphne could smell the sweet, gentle scent of her perfume, and it calmed her. She let out a long shuddering breath.  
'I'm sorry,' she said 'I don't know what's come over me.'  
'It's quite alright my dear, I'm right here. Is there anything I can do to help?' Rose asked. She may not have grasped the concept of flirting, but tears were something she deeply understood.  
After a brief pause, she continued 'I eat nutella when I'm upset. Out of the jar. It helps, I'd recommend it.'  
Daphne laughed through her tears. 'You really do have a sweet tooth,' she said. She looked up and saw Rose smiling an open and honest smile. It was so charmingly beautiful, she thought.  
'I think I'm good for now thanks,' she said. 'This is helping. Thankyou.'  
Rose smiled again and said 'Well, at least I'm good at something. I do give good hugs.'  
Daphne pulled a face and looked Rose in the eye. 'But you're good at so many things! You're so creative and quirky and talented and beautiful!' Then Daphne blushed as hard as Rose, having said much more than she intended. The tears had left her feeling liberated, but she'd never been so vulnerable, and she didn't know how to act.  
'Do you really think so?' asked Rose, sounding touched and surprised. 'So are you - very very beautiful and talented. But I suppose you already know that,' she said.  
'People do say so,' Daphne admitted, 'but it means much more coming from you. Like there's actually meaning behind the words when you say them.' Daphne could still feel the heat radiating from her cheeks, but she no longer tried to hide it. Her breath was steady now and she felt very sleepy and very comfortable in Rose's arms.  
'Right.' said Rose a little hesitantly. 'Well I'm glad to hear that.' Suddenly seeming uncomfortable, she glanced at the door. She looked somewhere between distracted and downright anxious.  
'What is it?' asked Daphne, not wanting the moment to end.  
'It's late. You must be tired after... well I should probably let you get some rest.' she answered.  
'Oh.' said Daphne, 'Well, I am tired. But Rose, I'd really like it if... I mean if you don't mind... I'd really like you to stay.'  
Seeing the combination of hope and vulnerability written on Daphne's face, Rose nodded. The worry seemed to melt away from her features.  
'You know,' she said kindly, 'I'd like that very much too my dear.' She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Daphne's forehead.  
Daphne was filled with feelings of such intensity it overwhelmed her. She was exhausted and relieved and nervous and excited all at the same time. She took a deep breath and purposefully pushed herself up to lean on her elbow. She reached her other hand up and entwined it in the soft, wild curls at the back of Rose's neck. Rose swallowed hard. Daphne watched the older woman's lips, which were parted and quivering slightly. It was now or never.  
'May I...?' she asked.  
Rose closed her eyes and breathed 'Yes'.  
Their lips met, and the kiss was loving and deep. It wasn't more than a few moments before Rose was kissing back, and she was more confident than Daphne had anticipated, as if her lips were more familiar with this intimate language than they let on. Daphne felt the thrill of arousal coursing through her more intensely than she had ever experienced before. Rose tasted sweeter than anything Daphne could remember, and she thought to herself that she might just develop a sweet tooth after all.


	2. Very, very bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose has been trying so hard not to make a complete and utter fool of herself and screw up the whole heist while she's at it. But, quite understandably, she has her limits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the lovely gays and girls who helped me share this with everyone, to the actual angels who left me encouragement on the last chapter, and to the wonderful JPXR7 for being a huge sweetie and inspiring me to write in the first place. Love to all of you x

Oh, this was bad. This was very very bad. Okay Rosie, she though, keep calm. You can do this.

  
Debbie and Lou had told her not to get too close to Daphne, not to fawn over her. Just make her the dress, make SURE she wears the necklace, and whatever you do, don't raise her suspicions. Easy, right?

  
But they were wrong, she thought. Very, very wrong in fact. Oh lord, what was she going to do? The others hadn't taken into account that Daphne was, in fact, extremely intelligent. She was quick and she noticed things. And as if the nerves of this whole multi-million-dollar-heist thing weren't enough, this woman beautiful woman, this goddess of a being, had been flirting with her from the very start!

  
This was not going to plan. Because what she was doing right now was, in fact, the exact opposite of 'not getting too close to Daphne'. Oh dear.  
Rose had, she reminded herself, shown incredible restraint. Daphne was probably just like this with everyone, right? Sexy was just part of her personality. And for so long Rose had worked tirelessly to keep her guard up, to be professional even as she got intimately close in order to fit the dress. But what good would that be now when she was here on the sofa with the one and only Daphne Kluger asleep in her arms?

  
Rose could feel Daphne's warm breath caressing the sensitive skin of her neck where her head was softly nestled. It felt... wonderful. And the weight of her body against her own was comforting (and not at all arousing, nope, Rose was DEFINITELY not aroused, she told herself). She vaguely wondered whether she was being stupid thinking this could possibly be platonic after she had accidentally maybe slightly made out with Daphne, but she decided to derail that train of thought before it could reach a conclusion.

Heck, maybe she should just leave quietly, skip town, and never come back. Fake her own death, perhaps? That might work. How on earth had she got herself tangled up in this mess? And HOW, she questioned, had she managed to make the mess even... messier?

She thought about how Debbie and Lou both seemed to have this effortless cool, and cursed herself for being so constantly flustered. On the other hand, she considered, they should have known exactly what type of person they were recruiting into their little scheme by the fact that they had found Rose sat in a corner crying into a jar of nutella on their very first meeting. Yes, they should have known.

She ran through the events of the day in her head to try and figure out what in the actual heck had happened. Since receiving Daphne's request (or rather demand) in the morning, Rose's level of flustered-ness had been even higher than her already significantly high base-line level. She had known that going to her house did not seem like an entirely sensible idea. Or even a vaguely sensible one, for that matter. But she'd been told to keep Daphne happy, so in the end, she came.

She'd actually been quite glad of the excuse to accept the offer, but if anybody had asked she'd have completely denied it.

She'd been so nervous when she arrived, she'd stood at the door for a good five minutes before knocking. She eventually mustered the courage to do so, but she had been in no way prepared to cope with the sight of Daphne answering the door looking like she was entering (and destined to win) a competition for the title of the sexiest woman in the history of the entire planet.  
Hopefully Daphne hadn't heard her gasp. She wore a stunning silk dress, the deep purple fabric sliding over her soft pale skin and showing off her hips and the curve of her... Well, Rose had just stood there with her mouth open like a fool, and was about to attempt some form of greeting when Daphne had taken it upon herself to gather Rose into a 'friendly' embrace. Rose pictured the air quotes around the word because try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from having some very naughty thoughts at the time. Certainly not things one thinks about a 'friend'.

Rose just hoped that mind reading wasn't featured on the long list of Daphne's many talents.

But it really wasn't her fault. Daphne had chosen today to wear some beautiful and very expensive-looking high heels, and, being a good bit shorter than her anyway, Rose had been just the right height to get a face full of... Well. Yes. And how was anyone supposed to maintain composure in that position anyway?!

After an eternity that was all too short, Daphne released her, and Rose the Extremely Flustered had for some reason muttered some compliment or other about the aesthetics of the wall paper in the hall way.

Throughout the afternoon Daphne seemed to have been taking much delight in making Rose blush. Indeed, she'd revealed herself to be the queen of subtle innuendos, inserting them into practically every other sentence. Combined with the flawless legs, the curves and that wonderful slender neck, the effect on Rose was devastating. It was torture! She thought distractedly about how people had better appreciate the fine craftsmanship on this darned dress - do they know how hard it is to keep your stitches neat when your hands are sweating and shaking and all you can think about is how your stupid infatuation with Daphne Kluger is going to result in a failed heist, six women who would most likely want you dead for ruining it, and a whole lot of time behind bars? Because she'd like to inform them that it was VERY DIFFICULT.

  
It had all been going surprisingly not-entirely-disastrously until the accidental maybe kind of making out, she mused.

Rose's attention was brought back to the present as Daphne let out a small sigh in her sleep. She became aware of her stiff back, and, as gently as possible, she adjusted her position beneath Daphne. Sliding slowly down she leaned further back into the sofa. The movement caused Daphne's head to slide onto Rose's chest. She thought she saw a slight smile grace Daphne's lips (oh those wonderful lips that were still smeared a little pink from that oh so wonderful kiss), but then she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

She really should have buttoned her blouse up to the collar because now she could feel Daphne's hot breath on her boobs and it was not making it very easy to think platonic thoughts. But... she didn't entirely regret it.

  
The actress looked so peaceful. Rose found her all the more beautiful for the slight imperfections that had crept upon the normally flawless Daphne Kluger. Her dark hair was loose and tousled (Rose... may have had something to do with that), and her mascara had left dark tracks down her cheeks.

  
The goddess had become human and Rose's indifference, while it had never been entirely convincing, was now in the process of being utterly demolished. Which was not good, she reminded herself.

  
She looked at her watch. 11.23 pm.This was certainly a questionable time for a dress fitting. She hoped that she hadn't attracted too much attention on her arrival, because it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that she'd now been there for quite some time. And anyone with two brain cells to rub together would have a right to question what, exactly, Daphne Kluger was doing with her fashion designer at her house at 11.23 at night. And she'd agreed to stay! She just couldn't say no! Why was she like this?

  
She silently prayed that she'd have chance to talk to Debbie before she saw any distasteful headlines on the matter. She dreaded the conversation, but she'd rather that than be thrown in the deep end by some reporter hunting for a juicy morsel of gossip.

  
And she could explain. 

Although it was just about the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do, Rose had been doing pretty well at resisting Daphne for a while. It had involved pretending to be utterly clueless, which for some reason, she found she was actually pretty good at. 

But then Daphne had got upset. And Rose couldn't bear to just sit there and let it happen. She didn't know what was bothering Daphne but she knew she had to do something to help. Even an actress as talented as her couldn't feign such sadness, the weight of it was almost palpable. And if it was acting, well then she deserved Rose's attention as well as three Oscars and an Academy Award for the sheer skill.

Rose didn't know what to think. Just remembering that kiss - so urgent and yet so loving - made her feel light headed. Did this stunning woman really like her of all people? And if so, WHY in the ever loving heck?

And what did it mean for the heist? 

Suddenly Rose felt frustrated. If they liked each other (and she didn't think she could keep pretending she wasn't into Daphne after everything that had happened today), why shouldn't they be allowed to express it?

She placed a caring hand lightly on Daphne's soft hair absentmindedly.

Hang on, this time she was certain she saw a satisfied sort of smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Had she just been pretending to be asleep this whole time?!  
Then she had a naughty idea. And she'd be darned if she had to force any more of those back down today, so she decided to follow through with it. Using one of Daphne's own tricks against her, she feigned a stretch and let out a quiet but audible moan.

Her head sliding even further onto Rose's bosom as she moved beneath her, Daphne drew in a short shallow breath in response.

Rose grinned and whispered playfully, 'For somebody who has such a successful career in acting, your whole I'm-totally-asleep-and-not-just-using-this-as-an-excuse-to-lie-on-you isn't entirely convincing,'.

Daphne kept her eyes closed, but she smiled, mumbling 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' Then she snuggled down against Rose, and slid her arms around her waist. The increased contact made Rose's heart beat quicken. With her ear already being conveniently against Rose's chest, she seemed to notice this, and held her even tighter.

Daphne spoke again, her impossibly soft lips brushing against Rose's skin as she did so.  
'Besides,' she said, 'it's very hard to focus on your job when you're distracted'.

'Oh, you don't say!' chuckled Rose, thinking about all the times she'd managed to prick her finger on her needle in Daphne's overwhelming presence.

She was enjoying this.

She ran her fingers through Daphne's silky hair and swept it away from her face, which still wore a smile. She traced her jawline with her fingertips.  
''You devious little thing,' she found herself saying.

'Me?' Daphne asked in the most innocent of voices, looking up at Rose with those huge bambi eyes and batting her eyelashes.

Rose felt something inside her melt.  
'Yes you,' she said, 'I was getting back ache sitting here trying to keep still so as not to disturb you. And you weren't even asleep!'

Daphne looked a little apologetic, but then recovered the situation so smoothly that Rose nearly choked.

'Well then perhaps,' she answered in a husky voice, 'we'd be more comfortable in the bed.'

Rose just spluttered in response, but she didn't feel inclined to say no. She let Daphne take her hand and pull her up from the sofa. She did not let go as she followed her towards the stairs. Were her hands sweaty? She hoped Daphne wouldn't notice.

  
'Oh,' Daphne added, glancing back over her shoulder with a look that set Rose's inside on fire, 'and I may be devious, but I'm not little.'

She had a point. Rose watched those long, long legs as she walked, and found she couldn't help but admire her shapely behind as they began to ascend the stairs.  
Oh, lordy lord, she thought. This was bad. This was very very bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, another long one! I enjoyed writing this from Rose's perspective, hope I did her justice. If she comes across as being muddled and confused, that's because she is haha. Always open to feedback and suggestions :) Oh also I've tried to make the text less dense this time so it's easier to read. Ao3 ate my formatting last time, I'm still learning my way round the website but I think I've sorted it this time


	3. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose wakes up in Daphne's bed next to three empty wine bottles with very patchy memory of the night before. She has a lot of questions, and so do Debbie and the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Kiarcheo, lesbianfrog, and Janeway_Or_No_Way - thankyou for your lovely comments :)

Rose awoke with a dull headache. Why did her bed smell like Daphne? Wait, this wasn't her bed.

Fuck.

She sat up suddenly, which caused her head to spin. There were three empty wine bottles on the floor next to the bed. What had she done?

And if this was Daphne's bed, where was Daphne? She looked over at the clock and it read 11.15 am. That's when she saw the note on the dresser. She went to get out of bed to pick it up when she realized she was half naked. That... was not a good sign. What had happened last night? She remembered being with Daphne on the sofa and agreeing to stay the night, but not much else. They hadn't... had they? Surely not. 

She found her bra on the back of the chair and put it on. It smelled like wine, but luckily it was black so any stains were hidden. She'd change when she got home.

But wait! She was meant to be meeting with Debbie and the others in... fifteen minutes ago. What have I done what have I done what have I DONE?! she thought.

The note. Read the note.  
She picked up the piece of paper, it was folded in half and had her name written on it in neat, feminine handwriting. She opened it up, squinted at it and read

'Morning sleeping beauty!

I had to leave for an interview this morning but it looked like you could use a lie in, so I didn't want to wake you.  
There are croissants in the kitchen and pain killers in the bathroom cabinet if you need them. Please help yourself!  
I'm afraid your blouse got a little bit covered in wine so I had it taken to the dry cleaners. The shirt on the chair should just about fit you and you're more than welcome to borrow it.  
I'm sorry I had to dash off but I'll seen you again soon! 

Daphne x'

This explained the absence of her blouse, but it didn't answer many of the other pressing questions on Rose's mind.

She picked up her phone and saw she had messages from both Lou and Debbie.

Debbie Ocean - 'Rose Weil where are you? We're all waiting to get started. We've got things to do! Do you know how important this is? Get here now!'

Eek this was not good. Debbie was scary enough when she wasn't angry. She opened the message from Lou.

Lou Miller - 'Debbie's pretty mad you're not here so I hope for your sake you've got a good excuse'

Well, this was just grand. She's just turn up late, hungover and smelling of wine, wearing a shirt that wasn't hers. Nobody would question that, right? Nobody would be mad that she'd risked everything to spend one night with Daphne Kluger. She laughed hysterically and began to plan her own eulogy.

She texted Debbie - 'Sorry!! Will be there ASAP.' That was pretty lame, she thought, but she'd come up with an excuse on the way.

She grabbed the silk shirt Daphne had left for her and put it on. It fit fairly well, although it was a bit long. She tucked it into her skirt and pinned her hair up even more roughly that usual. She knew she must look like quite a sight but she decided it best to simply not check her reflection. She folded up the note and put it in her pocket. 

She managed to find some paracetamol in the cabinet. It wouldn't do much to fight off her headache, but it had to be better than nothing.

Being in Daphne's house and going through her cupboards when she wasn't there felt very wrong. Rose was very uncomfortable and only just managing to hold back a panic attack, and the knowledge that impending doom awaited her in the form of an impatient and annoyed Debbie Ocean was not helping. She wanted to run away and hide, preferably with a big jar of nutella, but that wasn't an option right now. Settling for the croissant instead, she was just about to leave when she suddenly remembered she ought to thank Daphne for... well, for the breakfast and the shirt at least.

She dug around in her handbag for something to write with. Eventually she pulled out a pencil and tore a page out of the little notebook she carried with her. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know what to write, so she simply put the word 'thankyou' and a kiss. She hoped it would be enough. Leaving her note on the counter top, she headed out to catch a taxi.

The ride to the Lou's loft where everybody was waiting for her was a relatively short one, and luckily the traffic wasn't bad. The driver gave her a bit of a funny look but didn't ask any questions. Rose sat fiddling with Daphne's note in her pocket as she waited. It occupied her shaky hands and brought her a small amount of comfort.

If only she'd gone home earlier last night, before Daphne's little breakdown, before everything. Whose idea was the wine? What else had they done? What else had she said? Her memory was virtually blank.

She could vaguely recall sitting on Daphne's bed with her, wine flavoured kisses, and closeness; but it was no use, it was like trying to remember a dream. She failed to fill in the blanks.

The taxi stopped and she realized they'd arrived. She thanked the driver and payed him before stumbling clumsily out of the car and towards the door. She didn't have to knock because Tammy was already standing there, with a look on her face that somehow seemed to convey both disapproval and sympathy.

'Rose?' she said, 'Where have you been? Are you okay? You look... a little frazzled.' 

Rose did her best to smile and stuttered 'I'm f-fine, I was just... getting breakfast?' Was that the best she could do? Breakfast? Apparently she wasn't very good at excuses.

'Right.' said Tammy, clearly unconvinced. 

They walked through to the lounge where the rest of the group were sitting, and Constance exclaimed sarcastically 'Ah! Her Royal Highness has deemed us worthy of her time after all!' 

'S-s-sorry I'm l-late,' spluttered Rose.

Debbie's turned to face her and stood up. She looked furious.


	4. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Debbie is not happy about her five-years-in-the-making plan being undermined by Rose's very inconveniently timed crush on Daphne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay heads up, I've been drinking a liitttle bit of rum so please forgive me if I made any mistakes in this one haha. Sending love to all of you x

Daphne's phone rang and the name Rose Weil appeared on the screen. She was waiting on a call from her agent, but Rose was important too, so she answered it.

'Hi sweetie! How are you feeling?' Daphne asked politely. Rose had drunk more than her last night, and she had had a bit of a hangover this morning, so she guessed Rose would probably still be suffering a bit.

'Hello Daphne,' came the slightly awkward, heavily accented response. She sounded tired and stressed. Uh oh. 'I'm surviving thanks. This is kinda awkward but I need to ask a couple of questions about last night.'

'Okay, fire away,' said Daphne, trying to disguise the slight panic that was rising in her own stomach. Was Rose angry with her? Had she managed to screw things up already with this wonderful woman?

'Well, um, I guess I must have drunk quite a bit because I don't remember much.' she said quietly. Her voice sounded distant, was she using the loud speaker? That didn't seem like a very Rose thing to do.

'Yeaaah, you did get quite tipsy. What do you want to know?' asked Daphne, preparing herself for the worst.

Rose hesitated and then said 'Why... why did I get so drunk?'

Did she think Daphne had got her drunk on purpose? Did she blame her? Shit.

'Well, shortly after we went upstairs you just kinda started freaking out. I thought you were gonna have a panic attack or something. You kept going on about somebody called Debbie saying they were gonna kill you. You wouldn't tell me who she was- Rose, oh my god Rose she's not your girlfriend or anything is she? Because I would never have asked you to stay or anything if-'

Rose cut her off, exclaiming with surprise 'No! No it's nothing like that. You didn't do anything wrong.'

Reassured, Daphne let out a small sigh of relief and felt the tension beginning to drain out of her. 'I'm glad about that, Rosie,' she said honestly, 'because I never want to do anything to hurt you. You mean a lot to me.'

'Thankyou Daph, you mean a lot to me too. So... when did the alcohol come into this?'

'Well maybe it wasn't my best idea ever but I offered you a drink to help you calm down. And once we'd started, well, we both went a little overboard. It was silly of me Rose, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking.' answered Daphne. Rose had said she'd done nothing wrong, but it was just now dawning on her what a ridiculous idea it was to give alcohol to somebody on the verge of a panic attack. She felt guilty. She should have helped Rose somehow, not encouraged her to drown her sorrows. She'd do better next time, she promised herself.

'I see,' said Rose. Daphne could tell there was something else she wanted to ask, but it was like she couldn't figure out how to word it.

'Oh!' said Daphne, suddenly realizing what must be on Rose's mind. 'You want to know if we did anything together, right?'

'...Mhm,' said Rose, and Daphne got the impression that she was relieved not to have had to ask the question herself.

'No, we didn't have sex,' she said, deciding that the need for absolute clarity was a greater priority than trying to avoid awkwardness. 'You... weren't exactly in a state where you could consent anyway. We just cuddled. It turns out you're a very cuddly drunk. It was kind of adorable.'

Daphne had a strange feeling like she was talking to more than one person, because there seemed to be too many sighs in the space of a few seconds to just have come from Rose. That was very, very odd. Daphne was used to people knowing all too much about her private life anyway, but why would Rose want to share such a personal conversation with anyone?

'...Rosie? Are there other people with you or something?' She asked curiously.

'No! No um it's just a bad line. Um in fact I can't hear you very clearly so maybe we should just talk later. Okay thankyou for filling me in hope the interview went well bye!'

Then she hung up. Hmm. What exactly was she supposed to make of that?

She didn't have time to ponder it for very long, however, because her phone rang again. Her agent. Well, this was bound to be a much more predictable phone call, and much, much less interesting. She sighed and answered the phone a second time.

-

The atmosphere in the loft was surprisingly supportive after the phone call. Rose wanted to resent Debbie for making her do that in front of everybody, but she knew she was right. They all needed to know what had happened and whether Rose might have let slip any important information to Daphne. Still, having them all listening in on her conversation like that had been disconcerting to say the least.

'Well,' said Constance, 'it doesn't sound like Daphne knows anything about the heist, so that's good'

No, thought Rose, but now they all knew that she was a complete mess, scared of Debbie, and a 'cuddly drunk' as Daphne had put it. That was more information than she would have liked to share with them under ideal circumstances.

'Rose has pulllled' said nine ball, grinning like the cheshire cat. Rose wondered what exactly she had pulled, but it seemed like whatever it was must have been a good thing because the others were smiling too. Particularly Lou. If ever a facial expression could say 'That's my girl!', it was hers.

She would very much have liked for the whole ordeal to be over now, to go home and have a nice long bath and go to bed.

But just as she thought perhaps she was out of the woods, she noticed that Debbie was still looking decidedly unhappy with her.

She needed to clear this up. 'Debbie, I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid. I know I shouldn't have-' she began.

'No Rose,' said Debbie, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry because we can't let you see Daphne now.'

'What! Why?!' Rose demanded. The stress of the day had worn her down and she could feel that she was close to tears already.

'Because it's just under two weeks to the heist, and there's no time to plan around any extra complications. If this is going to work, and if we all want to avoid prison, everything needs to go to plan. And that plan involves you not drawing attention to yourself by being in a maybe relationship with the very famous Daphne Kluger!'

Panicking slightly, Rose tried to come up with some response, any argument that might allow her to still see Daphne. 'It's okay! We can keep it quiet and nobody has to know and-'

Debbie interrupted her, and said 'Rose, I'm sorry, but it won't work. Have you all forgotten that Daphne's date-to-be is the guy we're framing?!'

A murmur passed around the room.

'She's right,' said Tammy, 'if this is going to work, this guy needs to think it's all real. And the only way that can happen is if there's nobody else on the scene in terms of Daphne's love life.'

'But. But we didn't- and I don't- I just need to... I just _reaaalllly_ l-like h-her!' sobbed Rose, who found herself unable to contain all of her emotions any longer.

It was Tammy who answered. 'We know sweetie, and we get it, we really do, but now's just a terrible time for it. In a couple of weeks when this is all over, you can do what you like, and we'll all support you! But until then, we need you to keep your relationship with Daphne professional.'

Rose just kept crying, the waves of sadness and frustration refusing to stop hitting her.

Lou put a hand on her shoulder the way she had done when they'd first approached her. She liked Lou. She was nice to her and wore some lovely suits.

'You can stay here for a while if you like,' said Lou, 'I have a spare room. We can keep an eye on you and help to keep you distracted.'

Although it was phrased as an offer, Rose felt it was more of an instruction, the murmur of agreement that passed around the room sealing her fate without requiring any response from her at all. Still, maybe it would do her good. She hated that she wouldn't be able to spend time with Daphne, but she sure as heck didn't want to be alone for the next two weeks.

'Ok-k-kay,' she managed to say between heaving sobs.

She was given lots of sympathetic hugs and everybody kept trying to reassure her, but their words passed soundlessly over the noise inside Rose's head, so she excused herself and went and collapsed on the bed in the spare room.

Half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Rose didn't bother with words, she just let out a strange noise that was half swallowed by the pillow her face was currently buried in, 'MmrweeeaaahHh.' That summed up her feelings fairly well, she thought.

'Rose?' came a familiar voice from outside of the door. It was Lou. 'Can I come in for a second?'

'Yesh,' Rose sighed into the pillow. She didn't want to see anybody right this second, but she was staying at Lou's now, and she knew better than to be rude to her host.

'Debbie said to give you this,' she said, and Rose turned her head to see her holding out a jar of nutella. 'She really didn't mean to upset you. She can just be a little dramatic about things not going to plan, and you know, she has been planning this for five years.'

Rose took the jar of nutella and opened it. Lou handed her the spoon she'd brought with a small smile.

'It'll be okay,' said Lou, 'you know where I am if you need anything.' She turned to go and gave Rose one last reassuring smile before shutting the door behind her.

'Thankyou.' said Rose, who was already digging the spoon into the chocolaty goodness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah it's kinda paining me to write upset Rose but stick with me cos I promise it's all gonna work out in the end!  
> Feedback maybe please and thankyou? x


	5. Professional opinions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne hasn't had a proper conversation with Rose since that bizarre phone call, and she's starting to be slightly extremely worried. She decides that desperate times call for desperate measures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Tatea14, MsMachine, Janeway_Or_No_Way and lesbianfrog for all of their comments - love you guys (also hopefully this one's a little less emotionally damaging haha) x

It had been five days since Daphne had spent the night with Rose, and she was starting to worry. Well, she'd been worrying since the start, but now she was reaching a whole new level of worry. Rose had suddenly become so uncommunicative after she left. She'd turned Daphne down when she'd suggested they should meet up, and insisted that all that was left to do for the dress was the final fitting. She'd never turned down any of Daphne's 'suggestions' before, and she didn't know how to handle it.

'Please, Rosie?', she'd said over the phone, 'I'm missing you.'

And Rose had said no. Apparently she was unspeakably busy all of a sudden. That definitely sounded like an excuse to Daphne, who really wasn't used to people saying no.

Why was Rose avoiding her? And why did Daphne care so fucking much anyway? But she did care, and she couldn't deny it. This strange woman had had a huge impact on her already, and her life seemed to be lacking something fundamental when she wasn't around. 

Okay Daphne, she thought, just breathe. Figure out what's happening and then decide what to do about it.  
She wandered aimlessly through the streets, determined to keep moving so that all of the worry wouldn't catch up with her. As long as her feet kept moving forward, so did her thoughts.

As far as she could see, there were few possible reasons for Rose's erratic behaviour. It was possible that she wasn't into her after all, but Daphne didn't like that option in the slightest, so she ignored that one for now.

What else could it be? Was she just... nervous? Feeling awkward maybe? That seemed like a very realistic possibility considering that this was Rose.

It started raining, and Daphne wasn't wearing a coat, so she ducked into the nearest open door. Looking around, she saw that she was in a lingerie shop. The walls and rails were hung with skimpy underwear of all descriptions, a vast rainbow of lace and leather.

Sometimes, she mused, when you have a problem, the universe is kind and puts the answer right in your path. She decided that today must be one of those days.

She found a store assistant who was busy putting price stickers onto the labels of bras. 

'Excuse me,' she said, 'but I was wondering whether you'd be able to help me pick out some new lingerie for myself'. Polite but to the point, Daphne was very good at that, even if she did say so herself.

'Well as you can see I'm actually a little busy right n-' the store assistant began saying before she turned around. If Daphne hadn't been used to people gawking at her when they realised who she was, she'd have thought there was something wrong with her.

The assistant spluttered 'I'm sorry, but are you... You're Daphne Kluger!'

Daphne tried not to sigh. She just wanted to buy some sexy underwear to impress the woman she loved and missed. Really, that was all she wanted. Was it too much to ask?

'Yes, I am. And I'd very much like to buy some new underwear if you'd be kind enough to assist me.' she said, maintaining a level tone so as not to let her exasperation show.

Daphne... didn't really know how one was supposed to 'go shopping'. She was very good at spending money, an expert in fact, but it was fairly rare for her to walk into a shop and just choose something to buy. Normally she had designers working for her, people advising her what to wear so that she would always look delightful. Perhaps this new experience would be another liberating one, like when she'd finally let her guard down in front of Rose. 

'Very well Miss Kluger!' said the assistant a little over enthusiastically, 'where would you like to start?'

\- 

Two hours and many hundreds of dollars later, Daphne had arrived back at her house with a whole selection of new lingerie to choose from. Smiling to herself, she locked the door, drew the curtains and changed into her favourite new bra and knickers. 

Both pieces of underwear were rather revealing, and she felt amazing in them. Lacey and low cut, they didn't leave much to the imagination. They were a matching dusty pink colour, covered detailed pattern of tiny roses. 

Sometimes she liked to lounge around the house in her underwear, enjoying the freedom of looking sexy for the benefit of nobody but herself. But tonight, there was one very special person with whom she would like to share the experience.

She went up to her bedroom and stood in front of the huge mirror, and took some (a lot of) pictures. She was excited, she always felt better about a situation when she had a plan of action. The fact that this one involved lingerie was just an added bonus.

She settled herself on the bed and grabbed her phone. Deciding it best not to just send the very revealing photos with zero warning, she messaged Rose first. 

'Hey Rose, guess who's been shopping?' she wrote, 'would you be up for giving me your professional opinion?'

She smiled to herself. Sly, Daphne. She'd shown her new clothes off to Rose before like this, so she'd doubtlessly be expecting more of the same. But Daphne hadn't specified, so in fairness, there was no deceit. 

Not this time, sweetie, she thought as she pressed send.

It took four agonizing minutes for the response to come. 

Rose Weil - 'Sure, what did you buy Daphne?'

Wasn't she in for a surprise. 'These:' she wrote before sending the three most flattering photos from the large number she'd just taken (was three too many? Was three enough? Well, too late now. Three would have to do.)

The messages were opened almost immediately but Daphne had to wait an painfully wrong time for a response.

Had she done the wrong thing? Was Rose not attracted to her? Had she completely misread all the signals? Had she just convinced herself Rose was interested because she wanted it so much? Had the universe just fucked her over again? Shit. What was she going to do now? 

PING! She grabbed her phone the moment it went off. Had it really only been six minutes? It felt like hours!

She opened the message with shaky hands, having no idea what to expect.

Rose Weil - 'Okay, first of all, in my professional opinion, wow. Second of all, in my non-professional opinion, WOW'

Victory! Daphne was delighted beyond words. Whatever it was keeping Rose away from her, it certainly wasn't disinterest. She thanked the universe, god, and the underwear itself just for good measure.  
Being currently incapable of forming a coherent sentence, she replied with the blushing smiling face, and then the winky kissy face. She wasn't really a fan of emojis and rarely used them, but they were the best she could manage right now.

She went to pour herself a celebratory glass of wine, but then realised for some reason she was craving nutella instead.

-

Rose was dumbfounded. Daphne was even more stunning than she'd imagined. She'd tried not to give in, she really had, but how could anyone resist? 

She reassured herself that everything would be fine as long as the others didn't find out. She was pretty sure nobody had seen her staring wide-eyed at her phone just now. All she had to do was keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe buying new underwear just for the sake of showing it off is DEFINITELY not something I've done!! (lol that's a lie). What can I say, Daphne knows how this game is played


	6. Child's play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy's idea for taking Rose's mind off Daphne for a while goes horribly, terribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the lovely lesbianfrog and MsMachine - I present to thee jealous Daphne haha x

It was official, Rose was the most disastrous person ever to live. She would just have to accept that at this point. 

Since those photos Daphne had sent out of the blue, she couldn't think about anything else. She couldn't concentrate, and she knew it must be completely obvious because everybody kept asking her if she was okay, and whether she was actually paying attention.

She'd just be sitting there, trying to focus on the heist like any functional and upstanding criminal, and then her mind would decide to whisk her away to Daphne... the way she looked, the way she felt, the sound of her laugh, the way she smelled... all without Rose actually intending to think about any of these things.

She wished she could actually remember that one night they had spent together, because that would have given her more to reminisce about. And how she wished she could jump back in time to being there on the sofa with her, admiring her beauty as she lay there in her arms and stroking that lovely silky hair of hers...

'ROSE!' Tammy said loudly, 'Are you even listening?' She'd been trying to run through the plan with her to make absolutely certain she knew what she had to do on the night (she had been deemed most suited to this task because the others had reasoned that, since she had experience with children, she was most likely to actually have the patience to deal with Rose, who seemed to switch between a state of intense anxiety and zoned-out wistful longing every few minutes.)

Startled, Rose stuttered 'Y-yes! No. Sorry.'

Tammy sighed. 'Okay, I can tell something's bothering you. Is it the whole Daphne thing by any chance?'

Rose turned bright red. 'NO!' she exclaimed. Then she realised that Tammy was not, in fact, reading her mind, and didn't know about the photos. She was asking in a (slightly frustrated) friendly nature, not a suspicious one. So Rose meekly said 'Yes.'

'I understand Rose, I mean how many of us here haven't been driven a little mad by a pretty girl at some point or other? I'm willing to bet the answer is exactly zero. But that doesn't change the fact that you need to stay away from Daphne for just a little while longer.'

Rose said nothing. She appreciated the sympathy, but it made her feel guilty for the fact that she was still messaging Daphne when their backs were turned. She stared at the floor.

Misreading Rose's body language as plain and simple sadness, Tammy made a suggestion. 'You need to do something to get your mind off her for a little while. How about we finish running through the plan, and then afterwards you and I can go for a walk. There's a lovely park nearby, I'm sure you'll like it there.'

Rose agreed, because she couldn't exactly argue.

\- 

The park was nice. Rose had enjoyed it more than she'd expected, primarily because of the amount of dogs she got to fuss while she was there. She should thank Tammy, she thought. She didn't have to do this for her, but she had done it anyway. Rose guessed that bribing people with a trip to the park was probably a trick she'd used many times on her kids, but the sentiment was still there.

'Thankyou for bringing me here,' she said, 'it is nice'. As observations went, that one was a little pointless, but at least it showed her gratitude. Besides, maybe Tammy would stop thinking about the whole Daphne thing if Rose acted like she was over it. 

'You're welcome!' said Tammy with a genuine smile, 'are you... feeling any better?'

'A bit, thankyou,' answered Rose. 'I'm a little tired, that's all.'

She'd meant emotionally tired, but felt too awkward to explain this to Tammy when she started trying to find a place to sit down.

'It looks like all the benches are taken.' Tammy stated as she looked around the park. 'We could always just sit on the swings if you like?'

Acquiescence being her default setting, Rose just nodded.

They sat for a while just talking - about children and careers and why on earth those teenagers over there felt the need to play their music so loud. Rose began absent-mindedly rocking the swing back and forwards as they chatted, finding the motion soothing.

'You having fun there?' asked Tammy with a smirk.

'It is a long time since I've been on a swing,' Rose chuckled. 

Tammy grinned. 'Me too,' she said, 'but they were always my favourite thing when I was little. They used to make me feel like I could almost touch the sky.'

'When we lived in Ireland we used to have a swing set in the garden, and my brother and I used to have competitions to see who could swing the highest,' said Rose wistfully.

'And who won?' asked Tammy.

Rose feigned offense at the suggestion that she might have lost such a competition. 'Why, I did, of course!' 

And that is how Rose, a grown woman, found herself accidentally initiating a swinging contest with another grown woman.

They both felt a little ridiculous but neither was willing to back down. Just as it was beginning to look as though they might have to call it a draw, Rose heard a familiar voice.

Oh god, it was Daphne! What was she doing here?! Oh lord, oh goodness. Daphne was here in the park and Rose looked like a mad woman with her hair and skirts blowing all over the place! Had she seen her? Maybe if she ran away now she wouldn't spot her!

Without warning, Rose leaped off the swing, leaving a very confused Tammy behind her. The momentum was greater than she had anticipated, and she felt herself stumble. In the split second before she went tumbling towards the ground, she felt something catch her. 

This something, as it turned out, was actually a someone. It was a someone with some very nice shoes and some even nicer legs. 

'Rose...?' said Daphne, helping her steady herself but not letting go. 

Rose looked up, blushing profusely. 'Oh hi Daphne,' she said with a bemused sort of smile.

Daphne laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. 'Well Rosie Rose,' she said with a grin, 'it looks like you just fell for me.' After a second, she added 'Were you... were you playing on the swing?'

Rose didn't have a clue what to say, so she shrugged and went 'maybe?'

Daphne laughed again and hugged her.

'You are a curious woman, you know that? It's so good to see you Rose, I've missed you!'

Rose tried to come up with a response, but there was a whole lot of boob in her face that was making it rather difficult to think straight, so she gave in and just hugged back. Daphne was warm and she smelt sweet and Rose was in heaven.

Then suddenly it dawned on her that Tammy had witnessed this entire interaction and she was instantly back in the park.

She pulled her face away from Daphne (who still didn't let go of her) and gave Tammy a very flushed 'please don't kill me' kind of a smile.

-

Daphne was delighted to (quite literally) bump into Rose at the park. Seeing Rose come flying off a swing like that was the last thing she had anticipated when she'd decided it was a nice afternoon for a walk.

The fact she'd been playing on a swing? Adorable. Daphne just never knew what to expect when it came to Rose. She was such a strange and charming creature.

She hugged Rose tightly, not bothering to disguise how happy she was. She buried her face in Rose's wild curls (which were currently even wilder than usual) and kissed the top of her head.

Wait a fucking minute, she thought, who is that? She looked over at the other woman who was just getting off the swing. She was glaring at Rose. What was this all about?  
The woman walked over and said shortly 'I think it's time for us to go Rose.'

Daphne's first instinct was to tighten her grip on Rose. She hadn't been able to see her in a whole week and she wasn't about to let her go now.

Could this be Debbie? The one Rose was scared of? But then why would they have been playing on the swings together? That just seemed weird.

Daphne extended a hand, keeping the other arm wrapped possessively around Rose.

'Hello, I'm Daphne,' she said, knowing full well that the woman already knew who she was. 'And who might you be?'

The woman shook her hand and said flatly 'It's nice to meet you Daphne. I'm Tammy.' Then she looked at Rose again, who seemed frozen in shock. 'Rose, I really think we should go now,' she said.

'Um.' came Rose's response. She didn't seem too keen on the idea of leaving (thank heavens).

Now, Daphne wouldn't have said that she was the jealous type, not really. But who did this Tammy think she was trying to take Rose away from her?  
Sure, she was cute, but Rose deserved better! Rose deserved Daphne!

Daphne smiled an obnoxiously over-friendly smile. 'What plans do you have that are so vastly important you have to take my Rose away from me?' she inquired. 

As if suddenly reanimated, Rose spun around and said 'None! No plans whatsoever! There are no plans at all are there Tammy?!' She seemed... a little hysterical.

Tammy sighed and rolled her eyes at Rose. 'No, no plans at all,' she said, completely monotone.

'Well that works out then!' exclaimed Daphne, 'I was just heading over to have tea at a place down the road and I was very much hoping Rose would join me. What do you say Rose?'

Rose, still verging on hysterics, looked over at Tammy. Come on Rose, just say yes!

'Uh...' she said. 'Oh.. Okay..?'

Tammy rolled her eyes again but seemed to acknowledge that the decision had been made. 

'We'll see you later then Rose', she sighed, 'don't be gone too long.' 

That seemed more like a warning than anything else. What on earth was going on? Daphne was confused, but satisfied with her victory. She took Rose's shaky hand in hers and lead her away from Tammy. She didn't actually know where she was going, the whole tea thing was a spur of the moment idea. But there had to be someplace nearby that served tea, right?


	7. 'Sounds like a date'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne and Rose find their way to a cafe for a maybe-date. The waiter thinks he's helping, but Rose isn't so sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose is just the definition of gay panic, through and through. To MsMachine for sharing with me a very important video of Rose being an adorable mess on tumblr. 10/10 exactly the kind of inspiration I need haha x

Debbie was not happy when Tammy returned without Rose.

'Tammy, where's Rose?' she asked, her voice carrying undisguised impatience.

Tammy gave an apologetic smile. 'Well,' she said slowly, as if trying to come up with an explanation as she went along, 'It's kind of a long story... we were just in the park and things were going fine and I didn't think-'

'Tammy. Where is she?' demanded Debbie.

Tammy sighed. 'I don't know exactly. Daphne turned up and Rose kinda started freaking out. I tried to get her to just come back with me, but Daphne... well, she's extremely good at getting what she wants.'

Debbie said nothing but gave Tammy a rather accusatory look.

'I know I offered to take Rose to the park, but contrary to popular opinion, I'm not actually her baby sitter! She's a grown woman, I can't force her to do things she doesn't want to do.' said Tammy, exasperated. 

'I'm gonna kill her.' said Debbie, and nobody was quite sure how literally to take the statement.

Tammy sighed again. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. 'I don't think it was actually Rose's fault,' she said. 'I mean I'm not saying she handled it particularly well. But I don't honestly know what I'd have done in her position. Daphne just swept in from nowhere and hugged her, and then she was leading her off by the hand before I even knew what was happening.'

'And you've no idea where they were going?' Lou asked.

'Well, she said something about getting tea, I don't really know. She didn't say where.'

'Like, tea and cake type tea?' Constance interjected.

'Well how am I supposed to know?' said the exhausted Tammy.

'So it could be a restaurant or a cafe or...' Amita thought out loud.

'Sounds like a date if you ask me.' said Nine ball, not looking up from the laptop on her knee.

Nobody could argue with that.

'Well what are we gonna do?' Constance asked.

'Nothing,' said Debbie, much to everyone's surprise. 'We do nothing. We can't exactly go and track her down and bust her out of there. You don't think perhaps Daphne would find that a little suspicious? We'll just have to pray that Rose doesn't do anything stupid.'

'Daphne's either already onto us, or like, just obsessed with Rose,' said Amita.

-

Rose followed Daphne as she lead her confidently out of the park. She didn't quite understand what had just happened, but Daphne was holding her hand and that seemed very good and important right now.

Rose didn't want to say anything, but after a while she began to wonder whether Daphne actually knew where she was going. She wouldn't have minded just walking hand in hand for the rest of the day, really, but when they ended up looping back round to a street they'd already been on, Rose tentatively asked 'where is it exactly that we're going dear?'

Daphne said something about knowing that the place she was looking for was around here somewhere and she was sure they'd find it soon.

'Um, okay.' said Rose, 'What was this place called again?'

'I don't remember! But I just know it's nearby.' Daphne answered.

Rose had bluffed her way through enough of her life to recognize when somebody else was bluffing. Daphne had no idea where she was or where they were going. Rose was confused as to why she wouldn't just admit this. She took pity on her and offered her a way out.

'Look, Daph, maybe we could rearrange this for another time. That way we can plan ahead and we'll know which way to walk.' she suggested.

Daphne stopped walking so abruptly that Rose sort of walked into her. Daphne was looking at her with a sincere expression. 'Rose, I'm sorry I've not found the place I was looking for. But I really would love to do this today. I've missed you so much and I don't think I could bear to wait any longer.'

What did she mean? Rose couldn't get her head around it. Because flirty Daphne was one thing, but this was something else entirely. Something genuine and heartfelt. And that meant...

'Rose?' said Daphne, 'Are you okay?'

'Yes, yes love,' she said, and then she had an idea. 'Well, I may not know where exactly you were trying to get us, but we could always go to my favourite little cafe if you'd like. It's not far.'

'I think I love that idea even more!' said Daphne, seeming delighted with the suggestion.

Rose smiled. 'It's just this way then,' she said kindly, leading Daphne back in the direction they'd just come from.

Somehow Rose didn't think that the little cafe she frequented would be quite what Daphne was used to - it wasn't exactly run with movie stars in mind. But it would be cozy, and Rose liked that idea very much.

The atmosphere was hushed but it was a welcoming kind of calm. Rose lead Daphne to her favourite table, seeing how she looked around the little cafe as they walked. Did she like it? She really hoped so.

The other regulars who usually only greeted Rose with a quiet hello or a polite smile were suddenly paying her a lot more attention. She supposed that was what happened when waltzed in hand in hand with The Daphne Kluger as if it were the most mundane thing in the world. She had a few panicky thoughts about how much this could backfire, being out in public like this, but then she stubbornly chased them away.

She settled herself in one of the armchairs. It was the best seat in the house, as far as she was concerned, because she had her back to the wall and could easily see the whole room. It made her feel more secure somehow.

Daphne sat down elegantly opposite Rose, leaning forwards and resting her forearms on the small (slightly wobbly) table between them. 

'This place is cute,' she said with a smile.

Oh thank goodness, she didn't hate it. That was certainly a good start. 

'So are you, by the way,' Daphne added nonchalantly as she opened up a menu.

Rose just blinked. 'Sorry?'

'Cute, you're cute.' said Daphne matter-of-factly.

Keep calm Rose. It's just a compliment, not a proposal. Stay cool, she thought.

'I think it's just slightly early for that, don't you?' said Daphne.

'....Sorry?' Rose said again.

'A proposal, it's a tad bit early for that,' Daphne said with a smirk. 

Had... had Rose said that out loud? Well fuck. She turned bright red.

Just as she was thinking about how she would very much like to melt into the chair and disappear entirely, Rose was rescued by Lucas, the lad who worked at the till.

'What can I get for you lovely ladies?' he asked with a suave smile. Rose never normally got table service here, but she couldn't blame him for wanting to make a good impression on their prestigious guest.

Daphne ummed and ahhed for a few minutes before ordering a peppermint tea. 

What did Rose even want? She'd been to distracted to think what to order. 'I'll, um, I'll have the usual please Lucas,' she managed.

'Of course. With extras?' he asked.

'Double extras today please,' said Rose. She enjoyed a good splash of whiskey in her coffee any day of the week, but she felt a particular need for it right now.

Lucas grinned at her and then made a note on his notepad. 'Will that be all?' he asked.

'Do you want to get some cake Rose? These all sound lovely.' said Daphne, gesturing to the menu. 

'Oh I'm n-not sure if-' Rose stuttered.

Daphne interrupted. 'I know, let's share one! Come on, you'd be doing me a favour. I really don't need a whole slice to myself.'

'Uh um okay,' said Rose quietly. Daphne ordered one slice of carrot cake with two forks.

Well, that was something, at least. If Rose had had to share a fork with her she might simply not cope.

After Lucas had gone Daphne looked at Rose, pinning her to the spot with those big dark eyes.

'So, what's 'the usual'?' she asked, referring to Rose's order.

'C-coffee.' said Rose. Don't ask about the extras don't ask about the extras don't ask about the-

'And 'extras'?' Daphne asked.

Heck. 'Whipped cream?' Rose squeaked.

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her.

'Okay okay, whiskey,' she admitted.

Daphne grinned playfully. 'Do I really have that effect? Making you need double the whiskey to cope with me?'

'I just need double the whiskey to cope with myself today, apparently,' Rose answered. 

'That's a shame really,' said Daphne, 'because I think you're delightful company.'

'Thankyou dear, but you might not think so if you had to be inside my head.' 

Daphne smiled a little sympathetically. 'I don't know,' she said, 'it certainly seems like quite a fascinating place from out here.'

Rose smiled and was saved the effort of constructing a response by Lucas returning with a tray in his hand.

'I'm ever so sorry, but we're having problems with the dishwasher and I could only find one clean fork!' he said as he put their drinks and the cake in front of them. Rose squinted suspiciously at him. They'd never had any trouble with their dishwasher before. He winked at her and grinned, clearly thinking he was helping and pleased with his own ingenious idea.

Daphne told him that it was alright, and that she was sure they'd manage.

Rose took a sip of her alcoholic coffee, and felt the comforting warmth followed by the slight burn of the whiskey. She relaxed just a little.

Remembering that Daphne already knew how addicted she was to sugar anyway, she set to emptying packet after packet into her drink.

Meanwhile, Daphne picked up the fork and cut off a chunk of the soft cake. She placed it between her lips and moaned with pleasure. She was really going to have to stop doing that if she expected Rose to maintain her composure. 

Then she cut off a piece that was covered in icing and held it out, offering it to Rose.

Rose blushed. Just don't think about the fact that the fork was in Daphne's mouth seconds ago, she told herself. Just don't overthink the fact that she's feeding you. 

She parted her lips and leaned forward. Daphne held eye contact as she put the cake in Rose's mouth, and smiled a suggestive smile. Rose turned an even darker shade of pink, and Daphne left the fork in her mouth for a couple of seconds longer than was necessary before pulling it out again.

'It's good, huh?' she asked, and Rose nodded, no wanting to talk with her mouth full. When she'd swallowed the cake she followed it with a very large gulp of her drink, and then another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always my needy ass would appreciate feedback! Love you guys x


	8. The projecty project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne quizzes Rose about her 'friends', and is left with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my darlings lesbianfrog and MsMachine for keeping me motivated and leaving lots of comments. You two are angels and I love you x

Daphne was loving being in Rose's company. Her favourite cafe was a nice little place, and it suited her personality somehow. Gentle jazz music was playing in the background and the walls were lined with books. It was fairly busy, but there were still one or two empty tables. People sat in comfy arm chairs reading and cradling various hot drinks. Her presence had caused a bit of a stir to begin with, but nobody had ambushed her yet. Rose seemed to know a lot of them, and Daphne thought it was sweet how she made sure to smile at them. That was one of the things she loved about her - she may be shy, but she was always friendly, always there to brighten someone's day a little bit.

Rose picked up her mug and went to take a sip, only to put it down again and say 'Somebody drank all my coffee!'

She seemed... a little loosened by the alcohol she'd consumed. Not quite tipsy, but heading in that direction. Daphne smiled to herself.

'I'm pretty sure _you_ drank all your coffee Rosie,' she said. Rose pulled a face and pouted, and Daphne felt her heart flutter a little with affection.

'Well you could always get another if you like,' she said with a giggle. 

Rose's face lit up. 'That is an excellent idea!' she exclaimed, not loudly exactly, but at a higher volume than was normal for her. She got up and began to head towards the till. 

Daphne stopped her by putting a gentle hand on her arm as she passed. Drunk Rose was fun, but she'd learned her lesson about letting her keep drinking.

'Rose, my love, I was just thinking - well it might be nice if you could actually remember this one, right?' she said, trying to keep her tone light, 'so maybe no extras in the coffee this time?'

Rose clearly knew what she was referring to. She huffed and pouted again, and said 'I suppose you have a point. How about a compromise of one singular extra?'

Daphne thought that was better than nothing, so she agreed to it. 'Wanna get some more cake while you're at it? I'd love to try the chocolate cake.'

Rose raised an eyebrow. Her expressions became more exaggerated after a drink, and Daphne almost couldn't cope with the adorableness of it. 'I thought the whole point of sharing was that you didn't want a lot of cake?' she said, trying to conceal a smirk and failing spectacularly.

Daphne knew she was onto her, but she didn't mind. 'But it was so tasty Rosie!' she said, 'and I like to try a little of everything, don't you?'

Rose nodded and turned in the direction of the till, and Daphne was absolutely certain she heard her muttering to herself 'I'd like to try a little bit of you,' as she started walking.

Okay, she loved tipsy Rose. Tipsy Rose was great.

She returned a few minutes later, unaware that Daphne had heard her comment. 

'What are you smiling about?' she asked as she settled back down into her chair. This time she kicked her shoes off and put her feet up too. Something about the way she curled herself up vaguely reminded Daphne of a cat.

'Do I need a reason to be smiling?' she asked, hoping that would be a sufficient answer.

Rose looked thoughtful for a second, and then she said 'No, I like your smile. It is my favourite smile actually. So you should do it all the time.'

Daphne beamed at Rose, and told her she'd do it for her.

It wasn't long before the cake and Rose's drink were brought to their table. Still no extra fork though, Daphne noted happily. It seemed very odd for a cafe to just run out of clean cutlery like that, but she wasn't about to complain. As long as it was with Rose, she was happy with an excuse to share anything.

That thought sparked a sudden idea about how wonderful it would be to share a bath with her. Mmm, she liked that idea very, very much. She stored it away for later.

Rose looked at her watch and cringed.

'What's up sweetie?' asked Daphne.

'Oh nothing really, I just...' Rose proceeded to open and close her mouth a few times rather than finish her sentence, but Daphne had a feeling she knew what was on her mind.

'Is it Tammy? She told you not to be gone long didn't she?' she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral. 

Rose just nodded.

'Rosie, who is she? Why didn't she want you spending time with me?' Daphne said, aware that she wasn't entirely succeeding at hiding her worry.

Rose must have picked up on this, because she sat forward and put a reassuring hand on top of Daphne's. 'She's just a friend, love, I promise.' she said.

Daphne let out a slow breath. 'You have a strange taste in friends Rose. First this Debbie who scares you so much, and now Tammy who was trying to tell you what to do.' She wondered if she'd said too much, she really didn't mean to insult her. 

Rose was silent, she just sat staring at her drink.

'I'm sorry Rosie. I shouldn't have said that. It's not my place to tell you who you should be friends with,' Daphne said, wishing she'd just kept her mouth shut in the first place. 'I just... you're quite unlike anyone I've ever met before. You're full of mysteries. And I care about you, I don't like to think of you being with people who don't respect you.'

Rose sighed, and eventually she looked up again. 'It's okay Daph. I appreciate your concern. And you're right, really,' she said slowly, 'I'm... we're working on a project. They don't want me to fall behind. That's all it is.'

In spite of her better judgement, Daphne was unable to contain her curiosity. 'What sort of project?' she asked.

Rose took a sip of her coffee and glanced to the side before answering. 'A projecty project.' she stated, as if this was a perfectly good explanation.

Daphne laughed. Apparently that topic was out of bounds (for now). 'Ah yes, I do love a good projecty project,' she joked, hoping to lighten the tone again.

Rose smiled, seeming relieved that she wasn't pressing her for more details.

Not knowing quite what to say, Daphne grabbed the fork and put a piece of the rich chocolate cake in her mouth. She moaned as she did so, loving the way Rose blushed and looked away every time she did. 

When Rose looked up, she said 'Oh, er, you got a little bit-' and pointed at her own mouth to indicate the icing on Daphne's lip.

Daphne stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. Rose blushed again. 'Better?' she asked.

'You still missed a bit,' Rose said shyly. 

'Could you get it for me please Rosie?' she said, leaning forward.

Rose looked extremely unsure, but she lifted her hand and gently wiped Daphne's lip with a soft fingertip. She then put the slightly chocolaty finger in her own mouth, only to realize moments later what an intimate gesture it was. She looked up at Daphne with that familiar deer-in-the-headlights expression.

'You just can't resist anything sweet, huh,' Daphne commented, trying to help Rose feel more at ease.

Rose shook her head, a blonde curl escaping and bobbing around her face as she did so.

-

They stayed at the cafe until closing time. Daphne had tried suggesting that Rose could come back with her, but she politely declined. 

'Right,' said Daphne, 'the projecty project.'

Rose nodded. 'I'm sorry Daph. I've had a lovely afternoon, and I really would like to spend more time with you. I just... can't right now.'

She really did seem sorry to say no. And although Daphne was a little disappointed, the promise in the words 'right now' gave her hope. 

'Alright. Another time then,' said Daphne.

Rose smiled and nodded. Daphne put a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she was lost for words. She leaned down slowly, giving Rose chance to move away if she wanted to. She kissed her softly on the lips, and Rose let out what could only be described as a whimper in response. She kissed her back for a few seconds before pulling away.

She gave Daphne a small smile before she turned and got into her taxi.

Damn, thought Daphne, I love that woman.


	9. Sweating out confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is a liar and a criminal and she's absolutely certain that Daphne is going to hate her for it when she finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Kakoetchen, JPXR7 and Tatea14 (babes!!), ahscovengirl and of course my darling MsMachine!

There were three days left until the heist, and Rose was nervous. Okay, that was the understatement of the year - Rose was terrified. The fact that she'd just lied to the others about where she was going was not making her feel any better. 

Debbie had asked where she was heading, presumably having noticed that she'd made more of an effort to dress up that usual. Rose had prepared and rehearsed her cover story, and she told her her brother was visiting the states and that she was taking him out for a meal. To Rose's relief, she seemed to buy it.

Rose sat in the back of the taxi biting her nails, which caused the black nail varnish to flake away around the edges. She inadvertently let out an anxious sort of a humming noise.

'You alright there?' asked the driver.

How on earth was she meant to answer that? She had a feeling that saying 'yes thankyou it's just I'm going to dinner with the woman from around whose neck I shall soon be stealing a $150 million necklace' was probably not a fantastic idea.

'Yes, sorry, I just have a bit of a sore throat,' she said instead.

The driver made a sympathetic sound and told her he was sure there was a bug going around lately.

Rose had him drop her off a few streets away from Daphne's house. The evening air was cool and she pulled her coat around herself more tightly as she walked. 

She knocked on the door. No answer. That was weird. She knocked again, and heard hurried footsteps approaching before the door was opened to reveal Daphne accompanied by the smell of burning. She smiled a rather manic smile.

'Rose! Hi. There may be minor complications with dinner,' she said, waving an oven glove around as she spoke.

'Um, yeah,' said Rose, who, judging by the amount of smoke, was not convinced that the complications were in any way minor.

'Come in! I'll sort it, don't worry,' Daphne said.

Rose entered the smokey hallway and coughed. 'Maybe we should open a window?' she suggested.

Fifteen minutes and eight open windows later, the air was just about breathable again.

Daphne came through from the kitchen and sat down next to Rose with an exaggerated sigh.

'So, takeout food?' she said.

'That'll be fine love,' said Rose with a sympathetic smile. It was really sweet of Daphne to offer to cook for her, but it seemed she didn't have much experience in the area. 'Let's order some pizza,' she suggested.

Daphne snorted. 'If I'd known you just wanted pizza I could have saved a lot of mess!' she said with a smile.

'I appreciate the effort dear, I really do.' said Rose, giving Daphne's hand a gentle squeeze.

Daphne leaned against Rose and gently nuzzled her neck, and Rose tried to keep her breathing even. This woman was torturing her in the best way possible.

When the pizza arrived and Daphne went to answer the door, Rose couldn't decide whether she was disappointed or relieved. She would have loved nothing more than to give in and hold her tightly, and just stay like that for the whole night. But could she really do that, with the heist just a couple of days away?

Oh god, what if this was the last time she'd get to be alone with her? What if Daphne found out she was involved in the heist? She'd be so angry. And she'd have every right to be, thought Rose. She wished more than anything that she could have met her outside of the context of using her like this.

She let out an involuntary sob at the thought, and she felt hot tears begin to run down her cheeks.

Daphne appeared in the doorway a few moments later carrying a stack of pizza boxes (she'd ordered far more than they could ever hope to eat between the two of them), and her smile faltered when she saw Rose.

She rushed across to her, putting the pizzas on the table as she passed it. 'What is it Rose?' she asked with unconcealed concern in her voice. Rose buried her face in her hands as she continued to sob.

Daphne knelt down on the soft rug in front of Rose and put her hands on the older woman's knees.

'Rose! Rose, what's the matter?' she asked. Rose did not know what to say, so she said nothing. She looked up at Daphne with tears in her eyes and mascara running down her cheeks.

'Is this because I burned the dinner? Because-' began Daphne.

'N-no!' No,' sobbed Rose. 'I-it's n-nothing. I'm f-fine.' 

'Rose, this certainly doesn't seem like nothing to me. Please tell me what's wrong.' she answered. 

Darn her for being so sweet and so caring, thought Rose. If Daphne had just been the cold and superficial person that everybody seemed to think she was, Rose wouldn't have fallen in love and the whole heist thing would be running smoothly!

'I'm s-so s-s-sorry!' Rose spluttered, her tears still falling fast.

Daphne squeezed Rose's knee to get her attention. 'You have nothing to be sorry for Rosie. Nothing.' she said, emphasising every word so that the meaning might cut through Rose's heaving sobs.Then she seemed to have an idea, and she stood up. Rose looked at her and blinked, and Daphne bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. 'I think I have just what you need. I'll be right back,' she said.

She disappeared through the doorway and Rose heard her opening and closing cupboards in the kitchen. She wasn't about to attempt dinner again, was she?

She returned after a few minutes, proudly presenting Rose with an unopened jar of nutella and a silver spoon.

'You re-remembered!' Rose said with a small smile.

Daphne beamed. 'Of course I did!' she said, 'I just couldn't remember where I'd put it.'

Rose smiled again and thanked Daphne, and began to dig into the rich chocolate spread.

-

Daphne didn't know quite what had happened. One minute things were going fine (bar the dinner mishap), and the next Rose was in floods of tears for no apparent reason.

She was glad she'd thought to stock up on nutella after the last time Rose was here. She did seem to be calming down, but she was still letting out the occasional sob.

She sat beside her and pulled her close so that her head came to rest on Daphne's bare shoulder. She stroked her hair, slowly and softly, and said 'sshhhh, it's okay. I'm here.' She didn't know if it was helping, but she thought it must surely be better than nothing.

What on earth had come over her all of a sudden? Why did she say she was sorry? Where was this all coming from?

Rose sat up abruptly, dragging Daphne away from her thoughts and making her jump slightly.

'I've got to go.' she said. 

What? No! No no no she mustn't go, thought Daphne.

'Please stay Rosie,' she said, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. 'Please. Whatever it is, we can work through it!'

Rose looked her in the eye and the sadness in them was almost unbearable.

'I'm sorry Daph. You are so lovely. And you deserve so much better.' she said.

Daphne felt tears prickling in her own eyes. What was happening? Things had been going so well! Was this a breakup talk? Technically it couldn't be, since technically they weren't together, but... Daphne sure as hell wanted to be!

'What are you on about Rose?' she said, filled with anxiety. 'Don't you know I love you?'

Rose practically wailed in response. Daphne didn't know what to do. Never had someone been so distraught to be receiving her affection. She really didn't understand what was happening.

Then Rose grabbed Daphne and held her in a very tight hug. She could feel her heaving, ragged breaths.

'I love you too! Of course I do! But I'm not supposed to be here. And Debbie is going to be so angry with me, and you're going to be so angry with me because I'm such a mess and I can't do anything right and I always end up hurting people and letting them down and I'm gonna end up in jail!' she said without taking a breath.

What was she talking about? 

'Shhh, please calm down,' Daphne said, still held in Rose's tight embrace. 'Breathe Rose. Breathe. That's right,' she said, resuming stroking her curly hair.

'Okay. Now tell me what's going on, but tell me slowly.' Daphne instructed, kindly but firmly.

Rose drew a deep breath. 'It started a few weeks ago when I was approached by two women,' she began, and Daphne was very glad she now seemed to be forming coherent sentences again.

'Debbie and Lou. They were so kind, you know! And they told me they could help me. All my debt and everything... gone. And I'd be able to start fresh.' She paused and released Daphne, grabbing the nutella jar and sinking back into the sofa.

'It sounded too good to be true,' she said, pausing again to put a spoonful of nutella in her mouth. Daphne sat patiently until she was ready to continue.

'But all I had to do was dress a celebrity for the met gala. I had to dress you, Daph,' she said, and Daphne could hear the regret in her voice as she spoke. 'But I don't think they counted on us... enjoying each other's company so much.' she said.

Um, did she mean falling hopelessly and irrevocably in love? 

'They thought they could keep me distracted enough just by blowing bubbles outside the window!' Rose said with something that would have been a laugh if it didn't contain so much sadness.

The bubbles. That answered the question about the bubbles.

Daphne held Rose's hand (which was a bit sweaty, the poor thing must have been be really nervous), and said 'I did notice you were... just a little bit distracted when I first met you.'

'Yes. Well. Apparently not distracted enough,' said Rose. 'And now, now it's too late to back out. Far too late. Shit Daphne, how did I get myself into this?'

'Into what?' asked Daphne, still not understanding what Rose was trying to say.

'We're going to steal the Toussaint Daphne,' she said, completely serious.

'You're... you're what?' said Daphne, feeling like surely, she must have misheard.

'We're stealing the toussaint. Debbie's been planning it for years. And I'm so so sorry because it's so unfair on you and I wish I'd-'

Daphne stopped listening. Suddenly, things fell into place and understanding bloomed. It all made sense. The bubbles. Rose's weird behaviour. The strangers listening in on the phone call. The project! Of course. And Rose's absolute insistence that Daphne should wear the Toussaint. It all finally fitted together neatly in her mind.

So, Rose, in league with a bunch of criminals and about to pull off a hundred-and-fifty-million-dollar heist, huh? That was new. And... hot. Why was that so hot?

'-and really Daph, I can't tell you how sorry I am. So now you know, and I might be going to jail, but at least you know the truth.' Rose was saying as Daphne finally managed to zone back in.

Daphne grabbed Rose's wrists, which moments ago had been gesticulating wildly. Rose froze and looked as if she had no idea what to expect from her.

Daphne leaned in and kissed her hard, expressing all of her love and frustration and exasperation with the movement of her lips against Rose's.

When she finally pulled away Rose blinked and breathed 'That was not quite the response I was expecting.' She sat very still, as if she felt like the universe had gone mad and might simply shatter if she moved a muscle.

'Sorry to disappoint,' chuckled Daphne.

'Not at all,' said Rose, turning her head slowly, clearly thinking she was dreaming.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I used a florence and the machine lyric as inspiration for this chapter then you're absolutely right. I'm very much looking forward to writing a chapter called 'the undone and the divine'. If you haven't listened to the song bedroom hymns you should go and do that right now. If you have then you should listen to it again because it is art.


	10. The undone and the divine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is given acting lessons and a 'nice relaxing' bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To MsMachine, cue the bath scene. Also to Tatea14 for being willing to fight beside me in battle should the need arise.

What. What was happening? Rose's brain short-wired. She didn't exactly know what she'd been expecting, but somehow even her non-existent expectations seemed violated. Daphne was... kissing her? And it made no sense. But Rose was not about to complain.

She didn't think about how she may or may not have just ruined the heist. She didn't think about how angry everyone would be. She didn't even think about the fact that she may well end up behind bars. None of that mattered right now.

Because Daphne was kissing her very intently. And it felt wonderful. They'd kissed before, and she'd thought she was in heaven then. But this. This was different. This was breathtaking. The world could end tomorrow for all she cared right now.

The moment was finally interrupted by Rose's stomach rumbling.

Daphne pulled away, and Rose opened her eyes. She was such a beautiful sight, she thought. Her pupils were dilated and her cheeks slightly flushed.

'Sounds like it's time for that pizza,' Daphne said, still catching her breath.

'Yes.' said Rose, but she had no idea what she'd just agreed to, because she felt strangely light headed, Daphne's kiss lingering in her mind. 'What?' she asked after a second.

'Food. You're hungry.' she said, amused.

'I am?' said Rose distantly.

Daphne just chuckled as she went to grab a pizza from the table. Her skirt had ridden up a little higher than was appropriate, and she did not pull it back down. Those legs were so long, and Rose swallowed as she caught a glimpse of underwear. She wasn't convinced that it was food she wanted right now.

Daphne had to physically put a slice into Rose's hand before she actually ate.

The food made her feel more grounded. That is if you count crashing back down to reality with a hard thump as grounded.

'Daphne,' she said as she chewed the pizza (which miraculously was still fairly warm), 'what am I going to do?'

'What do you mean?' she asked.  
Rose thought for a second. 'Now you know about the heist. What next?' she paused before hesitantly adding 'what are you going to do?'

'Well,' she said contemplatively, 'I'm gonna go to the met wearing to Toussaint just like everybody is expecting. And if something unforeseen were to happen, something I had absolutely no idea about, well, I'd have no clue what was going on.'

Rose blinked in disbelief. This wasn't the first time she'd heard something too good to be true lately.

'You... you mean you're not angry? You're not gonna...' she trailed off.

Daphne gave a sly grin. 'I think it's quite ingenious really. And its not as if you're actually stealing from me.'

'But Debbie and the others can't know that you know! They'd kill me...' Rose said, slightly panicked.

Daphne pouted slightly as she thought. 'Unless... unless they thought I'd figured it out on my own.' she mused.

Rose tilted her head to one side as she considered it. A loose curl fell into her eyes and she tucked it behind her ear.

'It's- it's not that you figuring it out wouldn't be believable,' she said, choosing her words carefully, 'but I'm not sure they'd believe that I was functional enough not to have let it slip.'

Daphne laughed, recognising the truth in the statement. She put her hand on Rose's in a comforting manner and said 'all you need is some acting lessons.'

Rose shivered slightly at the contact, her mind transporting her back to that wonderful kiss. Could she just live in that moment? Forget everything else forever?

Daphne noticed this and smiled a wolfish smile.

'A-acting lessons?' Rose muttered, unable to keep her imagination under control.

'Yes!' said Daphne, and then as if it were the most normal thing in the world 'we can get started while our bath is running.'

Did she... Did she just say bath? Our bath? As in they were going to have a bath together? As in close proximity and no clothes? Rose's mind ran wild.

'...bath.' Rose said, because she couldn't manage a full sentence.

'Mhm,' said Daphne with a nod, 'I always find a nice hot bath helps me relax, don't you?'

Rose blinked again. 'Uh... yeah...' she eventually managed to say.

Daphne gave her a sultry smile and said she'd be back in a second. Sure enough, Rose heard the bath taps running, and then Daphne was back on the sofa with her.

Daphne began to explain her plan. She'd approach Debbie and tell her she knew about the toussaint. She'd convince her she'd just figured it out, and that Rose had had nothing to do with it. In fact, if it came to it, she might mention Tammy as part of what made her realise something was up. Not that she was still bitter or anything. But in fairness, she was part of the reason Daphne knew something odd was going on. All Rose had to do was say nothing and act surprised to see Daphne when she joined the team.

'- and that's where the acting lessons come in!' said Daphne, clearly proud of her plan.

Rose was still too distracted to think about it analytically, but it seemed to make sense, more or less.

Daphne continued to instruct her on how to look surprised. As an after thought, she gave her some advice on maintaining a straight face too.

Rose wasn't taking a lot of it on board, despite her best efforts.

'Ah Rose, you wouldn't make a very good poker player,' Daphne joked.

Rose couldn't argue with that. In her limited experience of the game she tended to get overly invested and everyone would know exactly what cards she had. The only time she'd won was when she got the rules confused. Everybody had congratulated her on her bluff, so she hadn't admitted to the fact she'd just got muddled up.

Daphne must have come to the conclusion that they weren't getting very far, and she grabbed Rose's hand and said 'come on! I bet the bath's full now.' 

Rose followed her up the stairs and into the bathroom, where the ornate bathtub was almost overflowing with bubbles.

Rose just stood there, feeling for the hundredth time as if she'd somehow slipped into a dream.

Daphne was standing in front of her unzipping her dress. Rose was trying not to stare, but she was failing. As the dress fell away she noticed that she was wearing the underwear from the pictures she'd sent. She wouldn't have thought it possible, but somehow it looked even better than she remembered.

'It's covered in roses!' she exclaimed, unconsciously reaching out to touch the lacy fabric of the bra. 

Daphne leaned into her touch and closed her eyes. Rose blushed. She reached behind Daphne and unclipped the fastenings, and Daphne let it fall to the floor with a shrugging motion.

Rose gasped. How did Daphne always manage to be even more stunning than she thought? Nobody's boobs had a right to look that good, and yet there they were, defiantly existing in all their glory.

Daphne leaned down and kissed her slowly, and Rose felt weak. She might simply have collapsed onto the floor if Daphne hadn't been holding her up.

Her hand flexed in mid air, before entangling itself in the soft hair at the back of Daphne's neck. Quite without her consciously instructing it to, her other hand slid down her bare back and continued to travel downwards.

She kissed back fiercely as she felt Daphne begin to unbutton her blouse. She had to break away to see what she was doing with the small fiddly buttons, and Rose did not care for that, so she tugged at the shirt and pulled it off, the remaining few buttons coming loose and falling to the floor.

She might have been self conscious if it weren't for her arousal and the way that Daphne was looking at her.

Daphne helped her take off the rest of her clothes, but she was still going tortuously slowly.

When at last all of Rose's garments were removed, Daphne resumed kissing her, and her wondering hands explored every inch of exposed skin.

Rose staggered backwards, pulling Daphne with her.

Then suddenly something hard collided with the backs of her knees, and she lost her balance. She tumbled backwards into the full bath with a large splash, bringing Daphne crashing down on top of her.

She assessed the damage for a few seconds, and concluded that although she might have a few bruises, she wasn't really hurt.

'Oops,' she said with an apologetic smile.

Seeing that nobody was injured, Daphne began to laugh so hard that tears streamed down her face.

'Oh Rose,' she said, lifting a hand to wipe the bubbles off her face, 'you really are full of surprises,'

Rose gave a lopsided grin and reached her hands out of the water to pull Daphne close and kiss her some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys do we want a sex scene?? Is that what we want???


	11. Bedroom hymns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baths are nice, but beds are better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, a scene 100% dedicated to sexy fun times. If that's not your jam feel free to skip this chapter. If it is, enjoy x

Daphne didn't know at what point the making out became more than that, or who'd started it, but she certainly didn't regret it. Being so close and so intimate with Rose had awakened a hunger deep inside her, a primal sort of longing.

The water was splashing out of the bath as they moved in unison, but since the whole bathroom was already soaked from their, um, sudden entry into the bath, it hardly seemed to matter.

Rose was beneath her and their legs were entwined as they moved together. She could feel her hands on her backside, pulling her closer. The expression on her face was something to behold, her eyelids fluttering and her lips parted as she breathed heavily. The quiet moans that kept escaping her were driving Daphne crazy.

It turned out that being in the bath presented certain... logistical issues, however. For one thing, Daphne could thing of many more enjoyable uses for her hands than just using them to prop herself up so that Rose wasn't pushed under the water.

Slowing the motion of her hips, she leaned her body gently against Rose's, allowing her weight to rest on her. Rose let out a sort of whimper that was half complaint about the sudden stillness and half appreciation of the sudden closeness. Daphne ran her fingertips up Rose's side and felt her shiver. 

'Maybe we should go through to the bedroom,' she whispered in her ear.

Rose nodded vigorously, apparently she liked that idea. Daphne placed one more kiss on her lips before pushing herself up and grabbing a towel. Rose followed her and they made a half-hearted attempt at drying themselves before getting distracted again. They left wet footprints as they made their way through to the bedroom, but they didn't care.

Rose surprised Daphne by pushing her backwards onto the bed and climbing on top. This was new. Apparently Rose was much less shy when she was... fully immersed in the experience. Daphne let her pin her down and explore her body as she trailed warm kisses down her neck and along her collar bone. Her hands explored her boobs and soon her mouth followed suit (good lord that felt good). She continued to work her way downwards towards her naval and across her abdomen. Something inside Daphne snapped, and without thinking, she flipped them both over in one smooth motion so that Rose was beneath her again. She was hers.

-

Rose found herself being pinned to the bed by Daphne's bare body and she whimpered with delight. Every inch of her was alive, and she took in the sensation of their bodies pressing together and the taste of Daphne's mouth as they kissed. It was intoxicating, and she needed more - more contact, more closeness. She went to put her hands in Daphne's hair, but Daphne grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands down above her head.

'I've got an excellent idea,' Daphne said in a breathy voice. She rolled over and opened the draw of her bedside table. She reappeared with handcuffs dangling from her fingers and bit her lip suggestively. (She just keeps them right there, just in case, huh? thought Rose)

Rose, being currently incapable of speech, simply nodded. Daphne grinned and rolled back on top of her. She kissed her hard as she forced her hands towards the head of the bed and handcuffed her to the railings. Then she kissed Rose's jaw, behind her ear, her neck. She grazed her teeth teasingly across the sensitive skin and Rose could feel herself shaking slightly with pleasure. Instinct told her to pull her closer, so she wrapped her legs around her body and held her tightly. She arched her back as she felt hands caressing her boobs and hot breath against her throat. Daphne tightened her grip and Rose moaned in response, her body jerking upwards involuntarily and her hands straining against the cuffs.

The thigh between her legs moved confidently and the friction sent electricity through Rose's body. She wanted to be consumed by the sensations, to allow them to drive her into endless blissful oblivion. 

If this was a dream, she hoped to god she would never wake up.

'You're mine Rosie,' Daphne said huskily, and she was right. Right now, she belonged to her. She was at her mercy. And it was wonderful.

When Rose didn't answer Daphne hovered just above her face and whispered 'Tell me you're mine.'

'God yes,' whimpered Rose. 'I'm yours.' 

Judging by her response, that was the correct answer. She slid down Rose's body, conjuring goosebumps on her skin as she ran her fingertips over her stomach.

Then Rose could feel her breath between her legs and manicured nails running over her thighs. She gasped, feeling as though there were a beast inside her begging for release.

Daphne was still teasing her, and it was driving her mad. What was she waiting for?

The words 'I'm yours' escaped her lips again, and finally her body was flooded with the sensations it was craving. Waves of pleasure washed over her as Daphne worked her magic. She arched her back and strained against the handcuffs so hard she could feel them digging into her wrists. She was certain that nothing had ever felt so good.

She cried out as she reached her high, euphoria rushing through her entire being.   
Finally, she collapsed onto the bed, eyes closed and panting.

Daphne moved slowly back up her body, still kissing, still caressing. She unlocked the handcuffs, and though Rose's eyes were still shut, she could feel her smiling as their lips met again.

'You look a little tired,' she said tenderly.

Rose grinned. 'Oh,' she said, 'I'm only catching my breath. You just wait.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I've never written smut before and it turns out it's a lot harder than I thought?? But hopefully this is alright. And yes, yes I'm still using florence lyrics as chapter titles.


	12. Sunny morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose wakes up in Daphne's bed, and this time she remembers everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To TheXtremeFangirl, JXPR7, Tatea14, MsMachine and Marl. Thankyou for your comments! Love you all x

Rose woke up in the middle of the night, the room was black and her bed smelled like Daphne. Why did her bed smell like Daphne? Wait a minute, this wasn't her bed. The memories of the evening before flooded back into her mind, and she smiled. She wouldn't have had the words to describe the experience if she tried. The word 'exquisite' came fairly close though.

She became aware of Daphne's sleeping form behind her, and she turned her head to see if she could see her, but it was too dark. She could hear her deep, steady breaths, and the sound made her feel relaxed. She let out a sigh of contentment. It was as though Daphne had freed her of all of the anxiety and worry and doubt that had been slowly accumulating inside her, and she felt lighter than she had felt in a long time.

Which was ridiculous, considering they'd be pulling off a $150 million heist tomorrow night. It was so ridiculous, it was funny. Daphne knew and she wasn't angry. If anything, she was... turned on? Rose hadn't seen that coming, but she certainly had no objection. She couldn't believe it. The whole scenario was so utterly outlandish, so downright bizarre, that Rose giggled at the thought of it. Then she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle her laughter so as not to wake Daphne, but she was unsuccessful.

Daphne yawned and slid her arm over Rose's waist from behind. 'Wha's so funny?' she asked sleepily.

Rose smiled. Being cuddled by Daphne was almost as good as having sex with her. Almost.

'Sorry I disturbed you,' she whispered, 'It's nothing, really, I just... life is a very strange thing.'

'Tha' it is,' mumbled Daphne, sliding closer to Rose so that her body was pressed against her back.

She went quiet, and Rose couldn't tell if she'd gone back to sleep already. It seemed so, but she didn't think the fact that her hand was now quite unashamedly on her boob was accidental. It wouldn't be the first time Daphne had pretended to be asleep as an excuse to get closer to her. But again, she wasn't about to object.  
Eventually she drifted off again, smiling as she fell asleep.

-

The pale light of morning was filtering through the curtains when Daphne woke, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was how it reflected off the blonde and pink curls sprawled on the white pillowcase in front of her. Rose was lying on her back with her eyes closed, and Daphne studied the way that the soft sunlight highlighted her features. She was beautiful, and in her sleep she looked younger, untouched by the anxiety which crept into her expression when she was awake. She looked so peaceful, and she was smiling slightly.

She reached out a hand to gently brush a stray curl from Rose's face.

Rose stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked at Daphne a few times and grinned at her.

'Good morning,' she said.

'Yes, it is,' said Daphne, smiling back with equal enthusiasm, 'sleep well?'

'Oh yes,' Rose said as she stretched and rolled over to face Daphne. She wriggled down and snuggled into the crook of her neck, and Daphne could feel her warm breath on her skin.

'I had some lovely dreams...' she said sleepily.

Daphne wondered if she'd featured in these dreams. She hoped so.

'Well I'm sorry I woke you then,' she answered jokingly.

Rose was nuzzling gently against her neck and she felt as though she might explode with affection. 

'It's fine. This is even better,' said the adorably dopey Rose.

Daphne smiled and put her arms around her, holding on tightly to the woman who brought so much light into her life.

She couldn't remember ever feeling so whole. It was like Rose actually saw her, not just her image. She listened carefully when she spoke, and she didn't treat Daphne like she was just some dumb bimbo. In a world that took her at face value, Rose saw beyond it.

They lay like that for a long time, Daphne gently tickling Rose's back with her fingertips, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin. Rose was practically purring, and Daphne enjoyed that very much too.  
She ran her fingers all the way down her spine and Rose shivered and stretched her body, which pressed against Daphne as she shifted. 

'So,' Daphne said slowly, 'all those things you said about me before... did you mean them? Or were you just trying to make me wear the necklace?' She wasn't really concerned, because it was pretty obvious that Rose was into her at this point, especially after last night. But part of her needed to ask, needed to hear Rose say it.

Rose pushed herself up onto an elbow so that she could look her in the eye. She had such a sincere expression on her face, her dark eyes sparkling as the light hit them.

'I meant them. Of course I did. I'm sorry I put you in a position where you had to doubt that. But I hope you can trust me when I tell you that you truly do light up the sky, regardless of what you're wearing.'

Daphne raised an eyebrow. 'Even when I'm wearing nothing?' she asked coyly.

Rose was taken by surprise by the question and she laughed. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Daphne wanted to make her laugh all the time.

'Especially when you're wearing nothing,' Rose said with a grin. 'And that really is a great neck...' she added before lowering her head and kissing Daphne's throat.

'O-oh,' said Daphne as she felt that familiar flame of desire flickering back to life inside her. She didn't get Rose's obsession with her neck, she didn't really feel that it was her best asset, but being kissed there sure felt like heaven. She felt her running her tongue up from her throat and all the way along her neck. Then they were face to face, and Rose gently ran the tip of her tongue over Daphne's lip. For a moment they just looked at each other, both breathing heavily through parted lips. Suddenly their lips met and Daphne felt Rose's fingers snaking around her neck. She moaned into the kiss and Rose tightened her grip, her small hand surprisingly strong.

It wasn't often that Daphne was into being dominated by anybody in any way, but by god, she was into this.

Then the doorbell rang.

Fuck. 

Fuck it, whoever it was could come back later.

But whoever it was didn't seem to be in the mood for coming back later, and after the third ring, Rose said 'It's okay. You can go. It might be important.'

'Rose Weil. There is nothing that could possibly be more important than what we're doing.' said Daphne.

'I'm glad you think so,' she said with a smirk, and placed another kiss on her lips. 'But there'll be time for more. We-'

The doorbell chimed again.

'We do have a plan to put into action,' she continued, 'we can't stay in bed all day if you're going to pay Debbie a visit.'

Daphne sighed. She couldn't really argue with that. Their future together did depend on a) Rose not going to prison and b) Rose not being murdered by the rest of the team.  
She huffed and got out of bed, pulling a silky dressing gown around her otherwise naked body and tying it shut. 'Okay, okay,' she said. 

-

Rose watched Daphne walk out of the room, and it was as close to stomping as anybody so elegant could manage. She was a little bit amused, but she didn't envy whoever was at the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bitch I tried to make this soft but then it got sexy again. I can't help it. They just really got the hots for each other okay it wasn't my decision I swear


	13. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne is confident that she can pull off their little plan, but Rose is feeling anxious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drags you into a dark and suspicious alleyway* Hey. Hi. Can I, um, can I interest you in some of the good stuff?  
> *opens my jacket to reveal several secret pockets containing nothing but a ton of gay fanfiction* I just got some new the other day. Good and fresh, if you know what I mean. *starts handing you my latest piece*
> 
> Yeah so anyways I wrote a really fluffy Rose/Daphne oneshot in which they have a baby and I would love it if you feel like giving it a read. It's called 'an irish lullaby' x

Daphne felt a little bad for getting angry with the delivery guy. He couldn't have known what he was interrupting, and in fairness she had left special instructions to make sure the package was delivered as early as possible. But still, he could have just posted it through the door, it wasn't like it was too big.

She tore open the packet and smiled as she held her new lip gloss in her hand. It wasn't a bold shade like the type she usually wore, but she hadn't bought it for the colour. She'd sent off for it a few days ago because something told her that Rose would approve of honey infused lip gloss. She did have one heck of a sweet tooth, after all. She dabbed a little onto her lip and ran her tongue over it, and found that it did indeed taste very nice. She grinned to herself. Maybe Rose had been right about that devious streak, but she couldn't say it didn't work in her favour.

She had expected to find Rose still in bed, but as as she ascended the stairs she heard the shower running. Apparently she'd meant what she'd said about it being time to get up. Daphne dropped the lip gloss into the makeup bag on her dresser and then went to her closet to find something to wear. She pulled out one of Rose's blouses - the one she'd had dry cleaned after the last time she was here. She'd been meaning to have it sent to her, but as it turned out, it was a good job she still had it, because Rose's other shirt required more than just cleaning. She bit her lip and wondered whether they'd be able to find all of the delicate buttons off the bathroom floor. Perhaps they had been... just a little overenthusiastic last night, she thought with a grin.

She was just about to knock on the bathroom door to bring Rose her clothes when she heard her humming a quiet tune from inside. Her hand froze and then fell to her side, and she leaned closer to the door and tried to quieten her breathing in order to hear better. She was sure she recognised the melody, but she couldn't identify it.

The humming transformed to words which she could just make out if she listened carefully.

_'In the dance as it endlessly circles_  
_I linger close to your mouth'_

Rose's voice was beautiful. It echoed around the tiled bathroom, giving it an haunting quality, and Daphne felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

_'I am living to nourish you, cherish you_  
_I am pulsing the blood in your veins_  
_feel the magic and power surrender-'_

CRASH

What the heck? What happened? Was Rose okay?

Daphne knocked loudly. 'Rose! Are you alright?' 

'Umm...' came the response, 'yes? I'm fine.'

Well. That was good. But it didn't answer many questions.

'Right, right,' said Daphne, 'What was the crashing all about then?'

'Uh I slipped over a little bit as I was getting out of the shower. I'm fine though, it-'

Slipped over? Fuck fuck fuck had she hit her head? She was going in.

Daphne opened the door. Her hand flew to her mouth, but not in time to conceal the giggle that escaped her. Rose had fallen into the bath. Again. And there she was, naked and blushing and giving Daphne a lopsided smile from underneath a mass of wet hair.

'Oh Rose!' she said, still grinning, 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. Are you sure you're okay? You didn't hit your head or anything?'

'No, no, I'm quite alright. But, um, I could use a towel,' she said a little shyly.

'Of course,' said Daphne, grabbing a towel and throwing it to Rose, who caught it and wrapped it around her body as she stood up.

Daphne walked over to her and offered her a hand as she stepped out of the bath. Rose took it with another small smile, still blushing.

'I just can't take my eyes off you even for a second, can I?' Daphne joked.

'Sorry, uh-' Rose began, before Daphne pulled her into a tight embrace. She really wouldn't mind not ever taking her eyes off this strange and wonderful woman. She could feel herself becoming distracted by Rose's warm damp skin, so she released her. They did have a plan to execute, after all.

-

An hour later they were both washed and dressed, and Daphne sat at her dresser putting makeup on as Rose pinned her curly hair up in front of the big mirror.

'- So, there's you, Debbie, Tammy, Lou, Amita, Constance... Is that everyone?' she asked Rose, hoping that she'd finally succeeded in committing the names of her heistmates to memory.

'Nearly. You forgot Nine Ball.'

'Nine Ball! Of course. What's her real name again?' She asked, hoping that she could avoid using the nickname.

'I don't know. I don't think any of us do. I would't be surprised if she didn't even have one,' Rose mused.

Right. The nickname it was, then. Daphne finished her makeup and wondered across the room to Rose. She stood behind her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Rose turned her head and looked up at her, slight smile lines appearing at the corners of her eyes.

'I should probably get going,' Daphne said, 'will you be alright here?' 

Rose nodded.

'No falling into the bath while I'm gone, okay?' she teased.

Rose coloured slightly and nodded again, looking at the floor. She seemed a little anxious.

Daphne moved round and knelt down in front of her, so that for once Rose couldn't avoid eye contact by looking down. She took her hands in hers, and sure enough, they felt slightly sweaty.

'Hey, Rosie,' she said, making sure she had her full attention before continuing. 'It's going to be alright, okay? I'm going to make sure they believe me. They won't know you had anything to do with me finding out. I am an actress, you know. Being convincing is literally my job. I've got this. And I'm not going to let Debbie hurt you, not even slightly.'

Rose managed a half smile and she squeezed Daphne's hand in acknowledgement.

'I hate to see you worrying Rosie, I really do,' she said. Then she had an idea. She began to search through one of her drawers looking for something very specific... Where had it gone? Oh, there it was.

'I have something for you,' she said, 'hold out your hand.'

Rose looked confused, but did as instructed.

Daphne placed the small pink stone in her palm and watched her expression somehow contort into an even more confused one.

'Rose quartz,' she began to explain. 'My mother gave it to me when I was younger, and I used to hold onto it whenever I was feeling anxious.' She wondered whether she was making any sense, and how exactly to explain her strange gift. 'I found it nice to hold, it's very smooth, isn't it?' she said. Stop stating the obvious, Daphne, she thought. Just get to the point. 'Well anyway, it's supposed to be a stone of love, and I'd like you to have it. You can hold it when you're feeling anxious and know that, uh, well, that I-'

Tears appeared in Rose's eyes, and she hugged Daphne. 'I love it,' she whispered, 'and I love you too.'

-

Eventually, Daphne managed to tear herself away from Rose. This whole heist thing really was turning out to be quite inconvenient, timing wise. Couldn't it have happened at any other time than when she was busy falling for the love of her life? She sighed. At least Rose would be there waiting when she got back. Although, if anyone asked, she was staying with her brother, who was visiting from Ireland. And definitely not making herself at home on Daphne's sofa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes yes the chapter title is another florence and the machine song, but this time it's coincidental. Mostly. Ooh also if anyone was wondering, Rose was singing the lyrics from the riverdance music. I accidentally invented the term heistmates and I like it... like flatmates, only less legal. I'm thinking of putting an advert in the paper looking for heistmates of my own hahaha


	14. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is a very emotional and sleepy woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To JPXR7 (have I been getting the letters muddled up this whole time? Probably.) Sorry for distracting you from Charles Dickens that one time. Daphne is having a similar issue. Best wishes x

Rose had been waiting to hear from Daphne for the last two hours, and despite her best efforts to keep calm, she was starting to feel very anxious. What if Debbie knew she was lying after all? What would it mean for Daphne? And what would it mean for Rose?

She decided that perhaps a hot drink would help calm her nerves, so she went through to the kitchen to hunt down some hot chocolate powder. Eventually she found some in the back of a cupboard, it looked as if it had been there a long time. Wait a second... what the? The top shelf was packed with jars of nutella. She didn't think Daphne actually liked it that much. Why in the world did she have so much of the stuff?

Unless... unless it was for Rose. The thought made her feel strangely fuzzy, and she hoped against the hope that she might be right. It wasn't even that she wanted the nutella (well, she did, but that wasn't the point), it was just the thought that Daphne might have gone to the trouble to make Rose feel at home. 

The little gestures touched Rose, and made her go a little dizzy every time. She slipped her hand into her pocket and felt the smooth stone that Daphne had given her. A strange gift, in some ways, and yet so thoughtful. She shook her head to clear her mind, realising that she'd become distracted from the task of making her hot chocolate.

When the drink was made, she went and settled herself back in the big armchair. She liked armchairs. They made her feel safe. She sat quietly as she sipped her drink, listening to the sound of rain hitting the window. It still felt strange being alone in Daphne's house, but it seemed a little more normal than it had the last time. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her breathing slowed.

-

Success, thought Daphne. That had taken a little longer than anticipated, but she was now an official heist team member. Debbie wasn't quite as bad as Rose had made her sound. A little uptight, perhaps, but not unreasonable.

Once she was in the safety of the taxi, she pulled out her phone to tell Rose the good news. It rang, and rang, and then cut to answer phone. That was odd. Why wasn't she answering her phone? The voice on the other end invited her to leave a message, so she did.

'Hi Rosie, it's me. I was just calling to say that everything went to plan and I'm on my way back. You'd better not have injured yourself or anything while I was out!' she said, half joking, half serious. 'I'll see you very soon.'

Arriving back, she called to Rose as she entered the house. 'Rose, I tried to call but-'

Looking through the living room door, she suddenly saw why Rose hadn't answered her phone. She'd fallen asleep in the arm chair, her head cushioned on her hand and her legs curled up inside her long skirt. Daphne smiled to herself as she kicked off her shoes and took off her wet rain coat. She walked softly up to Rose and saw that in her other hand, held loosely in her palm, was the piece of rose quartz she'd given her. She felt a rush of affection and she leaned down and placed the lightest of kisses on Rose's forehead. Then she grabbed a blanket and draped it over her. It wasn't exactly cold, but it couldn't hurt to make her a little more cozy, right?

She picked a book to read while she waited for her to wake up. If she needed the rest, it was good for her to be getting some sleep. Daphne supposed that her anxiety had probably worn her out. That and the fact that last night's activities had kept them up rather late.

Daphne learned two things that afternoon. Firstly, she learnt that Rose apparently had a habit of talking in her sleep. Secondly, that this was much more interesting than Charles Dickens.

Most of her words were more like indecipherable mumbles, but the odd phrase came out clearly.

'Mmmnhhgnnnnen phrnnnn Fight Me jjnnnvsl....' came the string of sounds from the sleeping woman. 

Fight me? Daphne giggled. What on earth was she dreaming about?

'hhnng Fuck Off Claude She Doesn't Like You nnmmh....' 

Claude? As in Claude Becker? As in this creep she was going to have to pretend to be interested in? Poor Rose, of course, she knew about that. Daphne had hoped that she might be able to escape him, but after talking to Debbie, she understood that if the heist was going to go to plan, he had to think she liked him.

These criminals had better appreciate my acting skills, she thought. She made a mental note to bring up the subject later and make sure Rose knew that acting would be all it was.

The image of tiny, quiet Rose challenging him to a fight was quite a funny one. But then again, she was full of surprises. Daphne wouldn't be completely shocked if it turned out she was once a trained assassin.

Daphne's amusement disappeared when Rose suddenly seemed to become upset. She was still dreaming, and her face contorted into an expression of distress.

'No!' she was saying, 'You can't do that! You can't......' 

Daphne put her book down and crossed the room, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder.

'It's okay Rose, it's just a dream,' she said as she opened her eyes.

Rose made her jump by flinging her arms around her neck and letting out a loud sob.

'Daphne!' she exclaimed, 'I had a dream where you... and I thought that we... but then he... and you...'

Daphne held her and shushed her so that she stopped spluttering out half sentences.

'It's okay, I'm right here, with you and only you.' she said softly.

Apparently Rose's brain had finally kicked into action, because she quickly let go of Daphne and exclaimed 'The heist!'

'Yes, yes. Everything went to plan. I'm officially in on it and they don't suspect a thing.' Explained Daphne. 'I wanted to tell you straight away but you didn't answer your phone and then you were asleep and then you kinda started freaking out,' she said with a half smile.

The relief she sensed coming from Rose was almost tangible. She laughed and wrapped her arms around Daphne's waist, pulling her down into the armchair with her. It was a generously sized armchair, but even so, Daphne ended up in Rose's lap. She wasn't complaining.

'Phew, now all we have to do is steal a hundred and fifty million dollar necklace,' she joked. 

Daphne laughed. She shifted to look at Rose and stroked her cheek with her finger. Rose closed her eyes and smiled.

'Rose, I, I-' Daphne began. 'This creep Claude,' she started again, seeing the smile on Rose's face falter at the sound of his name. 'He has to be my date for the met. He has to think I like him.'

Rose looked down and nodded solemnly.

'I just need you to know that I wish I didn't have to. In fact, I wish you could be my date, Rosie, I really do,' she said, and Rose blushed. 'Still, maybe next year. You know, when we're not pulling off a heist.'

'I'd like that a lot,' Rose said, still blushing.

Daphne grinned and leaned back against Rose, and felt her gasp slightly as she did so. 

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Rose suddenly looked up at Daphne and said 'Do you fancy trying your hand at sewing?'

The question took Daphne by surprise. 'Um, sure,' she said, 'any particular reason?'

'Well you gave me an acting lesson. I figured I could give you a sewing lesson, if you want to,' she said, turning slightly pink as if she was worried that it might be a silly suggestion after all.

Daphne smiled and kissed her on the cheek. 'I'd like that,' she said, 'but you should know I've never done it before,'

Rose chuckled. 'That's okay, we'll start at the beginning.'

'I always find that a very good place to start,' said Daphne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took me a little longer to write, I was running low on inspiration for a few days. In other news, I've learned how to knit. Not that you needed to know that, but hey.


	15. A dance of blood and honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne gets a sewing lesson, and then an impromptu dancing lesson as well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To JPXR7, MsMachine and kiarcheo, thankin ya kindly for your comments x

After a take away dinner and a glass of wine, Rose's lesson began. Daphne was a little surprised to see her pulling a small sewing kit out of her handbag, and she wondered whether she'd brought it especially or if she carried it with her everywhere. She concluded that she probably did always have it there just in case, because that seemed like a very Rose thing to do. It was a big bag, and she was just thinking about what other curiosities might be found in there when Rose spoke suddenly and made her jump.

'I know!' she said, 'we can sew the buttons back onto my blouse!'

Daphne couldn't help but smile. She thought about saying that it might not be worth it, that they'd only get torn off again, but instead she just gave her a wink. Apparently Rose was thinking similar thoughts, because the wink was enough to make her blush.

'I'll go and fetch them,' said Daphne.

Rose showed her how to thread the needle and how best to tie the end of the cotton so that the knot would be big enough not to slip through the fabric. She sewed on one button while Daphne watched, and her hands, for once, were nimble and sure. She made it look as simple as anything.

To Daphne's frustration, it was much more fiddly than it looked. Rose chuckled as Daphne struggled on, the cotton getting tangled and looping around the wrong button.

Daphne sighed an exaggerated sigh. 'I don't know how you manage this,' she said, 'but I think perhaps another glass of wine would help.'

Rose smiled. 'Okay love, that sounds good to me. Let's just make sure we stop at one bottle tonight.' she said, refilling their glasses.

'Good plan,' said Daphne, staring intently at the knot she was trying to untangle. 

Eventually, the button was secured. It wasn't particularly neat, but it wasn't bad either. Rose showed her how to tie off the thread and snipped the cotton with a small pair of scissors.

Before attempting the next button (there were still three more to be sewn), Daphne got up and pulled the curtains closed. It was starting to get dark, and the rain was still beating against the window. Rose reached up and switched on the lamp.

'That feels cozy,' said Daphne, before being struck by an idea. 'Why don't we put some music on?' she suggested, already reaching for her phone. Rose smiled and nodded, a pink curl escaping and bobbing around her face as she did so. This seemed to frustrate her, but it made Daphne's heart flutter.

She connected her phone to the speaker and then handed it to Rose, saying 'you choose.'

Rose looked uncertain. 'What - what do you want to listen to?'

'I don't mind. That's why I told you to pick, dafty.' she said winking at her again to show she was only being playful.

Rose gave her a gentle smack on the arm. Which shouldn't have been hot, but it was.

Daphne grinned.

Eventually Rose settled on some music and pressed play. It wasn't anything that Daphne knew, but it had a nice sound to it. Something about it sounded a little bit wild.

She could tell that Rose wanted to dance from the way she swayed to the music and tapped her feet. 

She looked up from the sewing and asked 'Do you dance, Rosie?'

There was that deer in the headlights expression again.

'S-sometimes?' Rose said, sounding very unsure.

'I bet you do it beautifully,' Daphne said. 'I'd love to see.'

'N-now?' she asked, clearly a little nervous.

'Only if you want to,' Daphne said, not wishing to force her.

Rose promptly finished her wine in a few large gulps, and said 'oh, what the heck,' before getting to her feet. 'But you have to join me when you've finished sewing on those buttons, that's the deal,' she said.

'Yes your majesty,' Daphne said with a cheeky grin. This earned her another whack on the arm, which only made her grin more.

Then Rose turned and began to dance. She started slowly, tentatively, but was soon immersed in the music, her eyes closed.

The way she moved really was beautiful, even more so than Daphne had anticipated. It was as wild as the music, a raw and organic motion which flowed like water as she twirled and moved her hands through the air.

Daphne was so distracted by it that she wasn't watching what she was doing and her hand slipped, plunging the sharp needle into her finger.

'Ouch!' she yelped, and Rose stopped spinning and looked at her with a concerned expression. She looked a little dizzy.

'That was your fault, you were distracting me,' said Daphne with a fake pout, another idea dawning on her and instantly lifting her mood. 'Kiss it better.' she demanded.

Rose licked her lips self consciously, but she leaned down to do so. Daphne pressed her finger against her lips as Rose placed a gentle kiss on it, and it left a smear of blood behind it.  
She could feel Rose breathing hard from the exertion of the dancing. Their eyes met and Rose wordlessly offered her hand. Daphne took it and allowed her to pull her up from the seat. Apparently the sewing lesson would have to be resumed later. 

Rose spun her around in time to the music. Daphne laughed, not because it was funny, but because she hadn't felt so happy and so free in a very long time. It felt so different to the any type of dancing that she'd done before - the type that was taught and choreographed and intended to look good rather than feel good. She let Rose pull her into her wild dance, and she felt as though she might have fallen into a parallel universe where everything was right with the world. And perhaps she had. 

When the song ended they stopped, both panting.

'How's the finger?' Rose asked a little breathlessly.

Daphne had forgotten all about it. It had stopped bleeding, and the only evidence of the injury was the shadow of a blood stain on Rose's lip.  
'It's better,' she said, 'clearly that was a magic dance of yours.'

'Clearly so,' Rose answered, before the next song began.

This one, to Daphne's relief, was a little slower. She took the lead, placing her hands on Rose's waist and swaying her hips.  
They continued with the simple but intimate movement, almost in a trance, for what felt like a precious eternity. When at last the music faded out again, Daphne looked down at Rose and smiled, Running a hand through the curls which had come loose.

'If you said you were part fairy, I honestly think I'd believe you,' she mused out loud. 

Rose blushed again. Then she stood on her tiptoes (which was, as far as Daphne was concerned, the most endearing thing in the world) and kissed her.  
Blood and honey mingled on their lips. Daphne moaned and Rose kissed her harder. When she finally broke away to get her breath back, she panted 'why do you taste so good?'

'I have a few tricks up my sleeve,' Daphne said slyly. She could tell her about the honey lip gloss, but where's the fun in that, she thought.

Rose grabbed Daphne's arm and mimed looking inside her sleeve, which made her giggle. Before Daphne knew what she was doing, she felt teeth on the sensitive skin just by her wrist. 

'Huh,' came Rose's muffled voice, 'dish bitsh tashty too'

Oh good lord. Did Rose realise the effect she was having on her right now? Was she doing it on purpose, or just... accidentally sexy?

Daphne couldn't think of a witty response this time, because her mind was being flooded with some very explicit thoughts. This was the best damned sewing lesson she'd ever had. It was also, she reminded herself, the only sewing lesson she'd ever had, but she was sure that no others would ever top this one. Unless, of course, they were with Rose too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm heading back to uni this weekend so I'm afraid updates might be a little less regular. I gotta cope with those responsibilities... work, laundry, buying food. It's exhausting. But I will keep writing, and I'll do my best to add to the story whenever I can!

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna leave a comment I can guarantee I will fall slightly in love with you. My tumblr url is gay-ass-space-pixie if anyone's interested. It is but the small and humble blog of a small and humble gay, but I follow back :)


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